


Her Lovely Eyes

by DespairAs_Fine_AsWine



Category: American Horror Story: Coven, Carmilla (Web Series), Ghostbusters (2016), Once Upon a Time (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Teacher-Student Relationship, multifandom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-11-01 03:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10913685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DespairAs_Fine_AsWine/pseuds/DespairAs_Fine_AsWine
Summary: Regina and Emma have to do the same project together for the Biology class. They dislike each other, but in certain circumstances, they get along well. The girls begin to develop a friendship with the other characters, who, compared to them, have a LOT of stuff going on in their hearts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Emma have to do the same project together for the Biology class. They dislike each other, but in certain circumstances, they get along well. The girls begin to develop a friendship with the other characters, who, compared to them, have a LOT of stuff going on in their hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swanqueen centered

* * *

 

Emma was staring at her shamelessly. The blonde was playing with her long, wavy hair, throwing her dirty looks. Regina swore to herself, if she could get through that lesson safe and sound, with no unpleasant incidents ( _like_ _punching Emma's teeth out_ ), she would never even look in the girl's direction ever again. She had to concentrate on school. That year was crucial. Like every other one, in fact. Academics were important for her. Mother would be very, very disappointed if the straight A's would vanish because of some unreasonable hatred directed towards a girl. No. She had to concentrate.

"Okay, class!" Miss Cordelia raised her voice. "You will have to pair up for this project! Yes, I know, I know, collective groan. I know. You hate it." She started to give the papers to them. "Pair up, please, so I know who you're working with!"

They had to study worms. It was disgusting. Regina hated worms. They represented the most disgraceful creatures on earth.

"Wanna pair up?" She asked Misty, the girl who sat behind her and, in fact, the best student in Biology.

"Nah. Sorry, Gina. I promised Holtz I'd pair up with her. I can help y'a, though."

"It's fine." Regina gave her a weak smile, then turned around.

Every girl was eyeing Emma, asking her to be her partner. She giggled with them, flirted, gave them her cap. It was unfair. Emma knew Regina disliked her and she still acted like that, like she was important. No. Emma shouldn't affect her state. She has to be focused on academics. Her stupid obsession with the jock shouldn't be significant.

"Okay, people! Silence! We have 2 students remaining." The teacher stated, inspecting the list. "Emma and Regina."

Emma eyed her with a sly smile. That was a joke, a horrible, cruel joke.

"Girls, do you want to pair up?"

"If we have to..." The jock muttered amused, looking at her.

The bell rang. Regina never stood up faster in her entire life. She gathered her books in her black, leather bag, then paced fast to her locker. _Breathe in. Breathe out._ How could anyone do this to her?! Emma was the last person she'd ever wish to collaborate with. The blonde could've chosen anyone else, but _no_! It HAD to be her. Emma planned everything out. Of course she did. The jock wanted to disturb her peace and quiet. She wished she could talk to her friends, but all three girls moved schools last year. Regina had never realized before how painful it was to be alone in a school full of people you don't know at all.

 

The cafeteria was noisy. All the tables were occupied. She had to choose one of the groups, so she could eat, at the very least, ignored by everyone else. The jocks were out of the question. On one side - Emma and her spawns and on the other - that big, naive senior guy, Kirsch. His class was supposed to graduate that year. Then, there were the weirdos, not a good choice, either. The very straight girls, the fuckboys, the religious kids...

"Gina!" She spotted Misty's hand in the air.

The girl approached the small group with a shy smile, then sat down, beside the blonde. Their lunch tables were rectangular and of a dull gray, with 2 long chairs of the same color on each side. On one of them, Misty and Holtzmann, a girl who came last year in their school, were already making notes on the biology project while right on the other side sat a green-eyed brunette, next to her a taller blonde with light blue eyes was reading comic books, snuggling against the brunette's shoulder.

"Regina Mills. Nice to meet you." They shook hands for a brief moment.

"Lena Luthor." _What?!_

Regina's jaw dropped immediately. Lena Luthor?! She was a celebrity! Her family was filthy rich. Her mother and brother were in jail, from what she could recall. Even though Regina hated gossip magazines, she couldn't help but read them at times. Lena Luthor was one of the brightest minds of their generation.

"And I'm Kara. Danvers." The blonde gave her a warm smile, putting down her comic book.

"Have I seen you two before?"

"I was around since tenth form, only we rarely had classes together. Lena transferred from National City this year." Kara responded, pulling her glasses back up.

"I understand." Regina decided to continue with another subject, since Lena was obviously uncomfortable with discussing her past. "I suppose I'm sitting at the nerd table." She scoffed.

"And you, m'lady, are right." Holtzmann decided to speak up, straightening her back. "Misty, here, is a Biology genius. I excel in physics. Lena has a thing for computers, which I very much respect and fear." Holtzmann lowered her tone "She can control robots. And last but not least..." She pointed at Kara in a certain way "Our very own jock."

"Don't the jocks have their table?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, about that..." Kara muttered under her breath. "They seem mean."

Regina, Misty and Holtzmann gave the girl a slightly amused, ironic look. The light blue puppy eyes and the loose sweaters were softening her image. She didn't look nearly as tough as a jock should've been.

"Kara practices volleyball and softball." Lena decided to interfere as soon as she noticed their face expressions.

"Softball, huh?" Holtzmann sketched a smug smirk, watching as Kara turned red from the sudden wave of attention directed to her.

"It's a very interesting sport to play and to watch." Lena continued, ignoring their surprised faces.

"We know." Misty scoffed, switching her gaze from Lena to Kara. "You didn't hit me as _gal pals_ at first."

"What?!" Kara's face turned into an even deeper shade of red as she was giggling uncomfortably. "We- No! I mean..." The blonde began to gesture between them, scoffing and laughing. "We would- No! It- No. I mean..."

"And you, miss Luthor, any thoughts on the matter?" Holtzmann kept pushing.

"I think I'm full." The brunette stated with a fake smile, then stood up and walked away promptly.

The group stood silent for a few seconds, until Kara decided it was time to follow her friend.

"She's angry." Misty stated, watching them go.

"You're most definitely right." Regina replied with a shrug.

Holtzmann and Misty went on talking about their project, rarely paying attention to Regina, who was busy thinking about her old friends. The school felt empty without them. She didn't like being on her own that much. It was boring, lonely and it made her very nostalgic.

"Hey, Gina, are you coming to the LGBT group meeting afterwards?" Misty suddenly asked.

On the one hand, the meetings were usually extremely boring, lacking the general _friendliness_ and _support_ these groups were supposed to have. They were filled with unpleasant gossip and judgmental rumors. On the other hand, anything would be better than facing mother.

"Yes. Who leads it this year?"

"Hollis and Karnstein, I think?" Misty shrugged.

"Ah..." Regina raised her eyebrows.

Laura Hollis and Carmilla Karnstein were The Couple of their school. Everybody knew about them, from the juniors to the teachers. They never really did much, than attending the LGBT+ meetings and sometimes offering support, if they could. Laura and Carmilla were the first openly gay couple in their high school. A lot of people supported them throughout the hard times (for example, when Carmilla's mother kicked her out and the students gathered money for her, so she could buy food and clothes. Some people let her stay over while Laura and her father weren't in the city, including Emma's family).

"Do you think there will be any... Supervisors?" Misty asked in a low voice. "As in gay supervisors?"

"Openly queer teachers?" Regina scoffed. "Please."

"I actually heard Mary Margaret convinced Cordelia to supervise the meetings." Holtzmann suddenly stated.

"Cordelia's straight, though." Regina replied, gaining interest in the conversation.

Hotlzmann shrugged with a smug smile, then went back to studying about worms. Misty, meanwhile, was staring somewhere in the distance, a light shade of pink spread over her cheeks.

Regina looked at the jocks' table, eyebrows knotted. Emma seemed to notice the intense staring. In fact, the blonde stared right back with a wide smile. She was mocking Regina, without even using words. That girl was amazingly irritating. All of a sudden, the blonde decided to stand up and walk in her direction.

"Gina." Holtzmann muttered, shaking her head.

It was obvious that the young scientist didn't like jocks. There was a story circling around the school about some tennis players beating her up when she was still in middle school. Holtzmann stood up and left as fast as she could when Emma sat by Regina, straightening her cap.

"Miss Swan." The brunette snarled, looking in another direction.

"Mills." Emma responded in a low, husky voice.

"Can I help you?"

The blonde seemed to be thrown aback by Regina's annoyed tone. She raised an eyebrow, inspecting the girl with a questioning look on her face.

"We're doing the project together, smartass. Don't act like I've insulted your ancestors." She muttered dissatisfied. "I just wanted to ask for your number."

Regina took Misty's sharpie out of the girl's hand, making her raise her head in confusion, then wrote her phone number on Emma's forearm. The blonde looked at the brunette in surprise, then left, a satisfied grin on her face. That was going to be one hell of a year.

* * *

The LGBT meeting started a few minutes after she'd settled in her chosen place. Laura and Carmilla were sitting in front of them, talking mostly to each other before everyone would gather around. Laura looked satisfied at the crowd, mouthing ' _I told you there'd be people! **'**_  , then at Carmilla, who rolled her eyes playfully.

"So, hello, everyone!" The girl greeted them with a wave. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Laura Hollis and this" she pointed at the obviously bored, willowy figure "is Carmilla, my girlfriend. We've gathered here to make friends, to talk about our problems and much more! I guess I'll start with the introductions! As I told you, I'm Laura Hollis, a 19 years old aspiring journalist. I'm also a lesbian, pronouns she and her."

Everyone kept silent as Laura was staring, begging Carmilla to say something. The brunette finally groaned and leaned forward.

"I'm Carmilla. I'm gay. She, her." She stared expectantly at Holtzmann, who was the next in the circle. "Are you waiting for an invitation or...?"

"Ah! I'm sorry. I'm Jillian Holtzmann, Holtz for short. I'm 16 years old, studying physics intensively. I'm also a single lesbian. All pronouns accepted."

Laura mouthed a 'thank you' to Carmilla as she intertwined her fingers with the brunette's. A few more people introduced themselves, before they could be interrupted by Emma's loud arrival. The girl sat next to Regina. She must be kidding!

"Sorry for being late. I had practice." She stated.

"It's your turn, anyways." Laura replied with a shrug.

"Alright! I'm Emma Swan. I'm gay as shit and recently single. Again. I enjoy softball and cars. Call me." she winked in Carmilla's direction, who quite obviously acted disgusted by the gesture for Laura's sake. Regina was pretty sure Carmilla was indifferent, in reality. "Mills?"

Oh. Right. It was her turn. Regina inhaled sharply before speaking.

"My name is Regina. I'm a 17 years old bisexual. Pronouns - she, her."

"Are you single?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

The jock scoffed, leaning back in her chair. Regina had barely stopped herself from murdering Emma.

"Lena Luthor. Queer." The brunette stated fast, pretending not to notice the amazed glances people were giving her.

"Alright!" Kara laughed awkwardly. "Well... I'm Kara Danvers and I'd absolutely love to make some friends here. I enjoy sports, good food and helping people."

"Thank you, Kara." Laura smiled, hoping that the girl's words would make the rest of them a bit... Friendlier.

"I'm Misty Day. I'm asexual and I'd die for women. Oh! And I also like Botany."

With that, they finished talking about themselves. Laura thought that would be easier. When they participated in these meetings for the first time, people were friendlier and much more willing to open up.

Regina's phone buzzed in her coat. _Incoming message from: Unknown number._

_When are we going go catch some worms?_

Emma. Giving the jock her number was the worst thing Regina has ever done.

 _Mills_  
_Can we talk about it later?_

_Swan_   
_I'm bored. Let's talk now. Let's play something. Up for truth or dare?_

She had to be kidding! Regina placed the phone back in her pocket, looking in another direction. It wouldn't stop buzzing.

_Swan_   
_NO!_  
_DON'T DO THAT!_  
_COME OOON!_  
_LET'S PLAAAY! PLEAAASE!_  
_I'll stop annoying you if we play._

_Mills_   
_... Fine._

_Swan_   
_Dare._

She had to think of something good, something that would get Emma to do the dumbest shit possible.

_Mills_   
_Stare at Laura for 1 full minute._

Regina watched as Emma raised her eyes from the phone and glared at her. The blonde shook her head briefly before leaning forward, fixating her eyes on the 'victim'. After a few seconds Carmilla noticed her, the brunette's face expression changing rapidly from apathetic emotions to pure rage. As soon as her girlfriend turned her head to Misty, Carmilla raised her middle finger to Emma, who raised her hands in defeat.

_Swan_   
_I hate you._

_Mills_   
_Likewise._

_Swan_   
_Truth or dare?_

_Mills_   
_Truth._

_Swan_   
_Put everyone in this room in order, from less to more hot._

That was unfair. Regina found a lot of people attractive, including the guy who was staring at her and smiling. Robin was his name?

_Swan_   
_Am I bothering you?_

_Mills_   
_Can I change it to dare?_

_Swan_   
_No, but I'm changing my condition. Out of the girls you know._

_Mills_   
_Holtzmann, Laura, Carmilla, Misty, Lena, Kara._

_Swan_   
_You forgot me._

_Mills_   
_You're not on the scale._

"Let's play a game!" Laura suddenly shouted. "Let's form pairings and discuss about the things we like with each other."

Unexpectedly, Emma turned to her. They were supposed to hate each other. Why was Regina enjoying her presence?

"It's raining." The jock suddenly stated, staring in the distance.

Raindrops were hitting the window continuously. It was almost impossible to see what was happening outside.

"Shit." Regina muttered under her breath. "My car's broken."

"How far do you live from here?"

"Far."

Thunder. Regina didn't like this kind of weather. It made her feel uneasy and alone.

Laura decided to cancel the meeting, since most students began to scatter. Everybody left. Regina was on her own, car in the work shop, no umbrella. She had no way of returning home safely. Her mother didn't answer her calls. She was probably gone somewhere, in another state, maybe. The girl was desperate.

"Hey." Emma's voice caught her attention right before she could begin to cry.

"What do you want, Swan?" The brunette asked, looking at her.

"Do you need a ride?"

* * *

Somehow, they ended up in the same car, going to Regina's mansion. They stayed in utter silence. The traffic was horrible for a small town like theirs.

"Ah, shit." The blonde hissed, staring at the windows. "I can't see anything."

Regina couldn't possibly let her drive back in this weather. As much as she hated the jock, the brunette realized that she couldn't let Emma risk her own life. Driving at such a late hour in the rain was above dangerous.

"Shit!" The blonde groaned bumping her fists on the steering wheel.

The car was moving slowly through the rain, hit by raindrops from every single direction. The atmosphere was unusually peaceful, or so Regina thought.

"I'm gonna leave you right in front of your house, if that's ok."

"I thought you were coming inside."

"Why would I?"

Regina cursed herself for those words. Two halves of the same person were fighting in her mind: the one that gave people another chance and the one that would hate humanity forever. Regina couldn't endanger Emma's life. The end. The brunette repeated the words in her head over and over, closing her eyes.

"It's too dangerous to drive around in the rain." The girl stated, watching Emma's face expression change.

"I have to go home, otherwise mom and dad will get worried." The blonde muttered, watching the road ahead.

"I think they're gonna be okay with you staying over."

Just as they were talking, a short, but loud noise came from the jock's pocket. She took her phone out with one hand and looked at the caller's name. _Dad_. Emma picked up, somehow still entirely focused on the road and turned on the speaker, then brought the phone to her mouth.

"Hey."

_"Hi, kiddo. Where are you?"_

"I'm driving a girl home."

_"In this weather?"_

"Mhm."

_"Be careful, alright? If she allows you, you can stay over."_

"I actually invited her over." Regina blurted out. For some reason, she didn't regret it at all.

"I'm not staying, though." The blonde added fast.

 _"Emma, we'd actually prefer it if you did."_ Suddenly, Mary Margaret's voice took over. _"_ _It's not safe to drive around the town at this hour and in THIS weather."_

"Mom..." The blonde groaned, parking next to Regina's house.

"We have to search for worms soon, anyways. Holtzmann messaged me. They invited us over tomorrow." Regina stated.

 _"See? Go! We're allowing you."_ Mary Margaret continued. _"I trust that Regina won't try to murder you, so you're very much allowed to stay."_

The brunette raised both eyebrows at the mention of her name. She couldn't find it peculiar, though. Mary Margaret was the only Physics teacher for a while. She knew every single pupil in the school. It was no wonder she could distinguish Regina's voice.

"Fine." Emma finally gave in. "I'm gonna go now. Bye mom! Bye dad! Bye Neal!"

 _"Bye!"_ Her parents replied at the same time. _"We love you."_ Mary Margaret added before hanging up.

"Who's Neal?" Regina asked out of pure curiosity.

"My brother. He's 3 years old."

Regina didn't know Emma had a brother. She thought the blonde was an only child. They paced into the house as fast as possible. The rain was violent.

"Woah." Emma stared in astonishment around herself. "Your house is fucking big, man."

"I suppose it is."

Regina never really acknowledged her wealth. Emma was used to living in a small flat that no interior designers worked on and no carpenters made fancy, modern furniture for. Of course she'd be astonished by Regina's mansion.

"This is a maze!" She yelled out from the second floor, a sheepish grin spread on her face.

Regina couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the jock's childish excitement.

After taking a bath and warming up, they had decided to call Holtzmann and discuss the project. Emma was devouring a bag of chips, while Regina was waiting for Holtzmann to video call. The scientist's face appeared on the brunette's laptop, a very concentrated Misty next to her.

"Hey." The shorter blonde greeted, playing with a screwdriver.

Emma waved, dropping bits of junk food on Regina's bed.

"School's canceled for 3 days. The weather forecast is very unsatisfying. It's great for catching worms, though."

"We can go in the forest on... Let's say... What day is today?"

"5th of September, Tuesday." Misty replied, writing something on a piece of paper.

"On Friday then. Let's go there on Friday."

Both Holtzmann and Misty nodded, while Emma remained silent, finishing the bag of chips.

"Umm, guys?" Misty began, a light shade of pink spreading over her cheeks. "I spoke to Miss Foxx a while ago and she wants to tag along."

"Shit." Emma suddenly spoke up, staring at Misty.

"She said she wants to make my project an example for the rest of the class?"

"That's plain stupid." Emma muttered. "We all know you're The Biology nerd, but..."

"Her projects were perfect throughout the last year, though." Regina replied, turning to Emma.

Last year's Biology class was horrible. The old teacher didn't want to retire, so Cordelia had to work her first year as a teacher in atrocious conditions. She had to pretend to be the other teacher's assistant.

"I remember you guys were distant." The jock added.

"We still are."

Emma shrugged, ignoring the awkward silence, then fell on the bed as she muttered a halfassed 'night night'.

"Well... I suppose that's it." Regina stated. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night." Holtzmann waved, then hung up.

Regina turned around, facing Emma. The blonde was staring aimlessly at the ceiling, contemplating. Her features were relaxed and soft. Slowly, she pulled herself up, then headed to the halls.

"Where are you going?" Regina asked, watching her.

"To the living room? I'm gonna sleep on the couch."

"Emma, we have a guest room."

"Oh. That's right." She muttered, then yawned, stretching her arms.

"Second room to the right. The bed's already made."

"Thanks."

Regina gazed at Emma as the blonde was heading out of her room, barely dragging her feet on the floor. For some reason, the jock impressed Regina in the good way. She seemed more human than before. Of course those thoughts would pass soon. Regina was tired. It was natural for her to ponder on all kinds of things before falling asleep. With a swift movement of her wrist, the girl turned off the lights, then laid in bed, thinking about everything, especially about the blonde.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Hello! I hope you, people, are enjoying this thing. It's my first fanfic and I already feel like I fucking up :') 
> 
> I want to make every chapter kind of independent, if you know what I mean, so people who aren't in one fandom can skip the chapters that are related to that fandom's ship and read what they're interested in. It's gonna be connected, at the same time. 
> 
> (At least that's what I want to do) 
> 
> Feel free to leave comments! (I accept all kinds of suggestions) 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! 
> 
> ~ Bye bye!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misty and Holtzmann are working ahead on the project. Regina and Emma's relationship is becoming slightly better. Holtzmann reveals some information about themselves. We get a fast glimpse at Misty's past, as well as her take on subjects such as religion and emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxxay centered
> 
> Swanqueen moments
> 
> Holtzbert moment

Misty used to stare a lot at the night sky. That's one of the few things she remembered from her childhood. The stars that were sprinkled on the endless void of space looked very much like the powdered sugar her grandma liked to use when cooking chocolate cakes. Misty never really met her parents. Grandma told her many times that mom and dad were taken by God too late. She filled Misty's head with all kinds of lies. Grandma told her that mom and dad were sinners, because they supported abortion, free rights and they didn't listen to God. 

 **God**. 

Who was he? Misty could never really wrap her head around it. Was God even real?

From a logical point of view, he wasn't. An example of the God's non-existence and of religion being plain fiction were dinosaurs, that existed long before Adam and Eve could be created. Religion couldn't explain dinosaurs, but still, the remains of these animals that lived millions of years ago were found. According to the Bible, dinosaurs couldn't logically be a real thing. Science, on the other hand, proved that they existed. These enormous, ferocious animals existed. Was the Bible, really, just another book, an instrument to control the masses?

Misty decided to keep believing in a higher force, called The Universe. That way, the girl didn't need to worry about anything and anyone. She didn't have to pray to something she wasn't quite sure existed. She didn't have the urge to stay awake at night and try to figure out how science and religion could coexist anymore. Instead, Misty could worship a force that knew no hate, envy or fear. Misty worshiped The Universe, which was a  _very_  stunning force. Even on that particular day, when the skies seemed to break down and water was pouring mercilessly, the girl could still find pieces of The Universe as powerful as a thousand suns, as pure as the tiniest, friendliest ladybug. The Universe radiated. It penetrated the real world, their world.

   
"Hey, Mendel." Holtzmann greeted, interrupting her thread of thoughts. 

The young physicist gave her a warm, full cup of hot chocolate as they sat next to her. Holtzmann understood her. They seemed to know how important silence was at times. Suddenly, her phone emitted a short, strident noise, almost destroying the ambiance. 

_Cordelia Foxx_

_Hello, Misty. I'm sorry to bother you. Are you sure it is okay for me to tag along?_

The girl stared down in confusion. She thought she made herself pretty clear when she told the teacher that Emma, Regina and Holtzmann were fine with her supervising their projects.

_Misty Day_

_Hi! It's totally fine!_

Okay, maybe, just maybe, the exclamation points were a bit of an exaggeration. Misty didn't want Cordelia to question anything or feel unwelcome. There was no other reason for her heart beating at that rate, except for the nervousness of having to talk to a teacher via messages.

_Cordelia Foxx_

_Alright. See you tomorrow at 2.00, then._

_Seen 8.48 PM_

Misty would've replied immediately, not with a single shadow of doubt, if it weren't for the continuous, loud, obnoxious knocking on the door. That was, more than certainly, Emma. The girl ran downstairs to let her classmates inside. As soon as she opened the door, the jock stepped in, shivering, eyes opened wide. Emma resembled a freezing cat, who was forced to take a bath and fought with every bit of might to prevent that, but lost. Regina, on the other hand, seemed to be very collected as she walked in the house, careful not to stain anything. In fact, she was barely wet.

"I..." Emma began as Regina was helping her take the jacket off, "Don't... L-like rain."

The brunette scoffed, taking her own coat and shoes off.

"We've stood outside for a while." She stated. "Emma jumped into a puddle. It was much deeper than expected."

Misty scrunched her nose as soon as she understood which puddle they were talking about. There was a big, child sized hole in the asphalt. Nobody knew what made it and how it happened, but since their zone wasn't that populated, no one really bothered to cover it up. Every single fall, The Hole would take a victim. This year, it was Emma.

"Gina. Cold." The shorter blonde muttered.

"I'll make some tea." Misty informed them. "Go take a shower. It's the last door on this floor. I'll bring you some fresh clothes and-"

Emma didn't wait for Misty to finish all she had to say. The jock ran straight to the bathroom, leaving small puddles of cold rainwater behind her.

"I'm sorry on Emma's behalf." Regina stated. "She fell up to her knees in that puddle. I suppose she isn't really in the... Umm... Situation to be polite."

"It's fine, Gina." Misty replied, sketching a smile as she turned on the electric kettle.

"Can I help you in any way?" Regina asked.

"Nope. You can go upstairs, though and ask Holtz if they need anything."

The brunette followed her instructions and headed to the second floor. Misty couldn't really bare to communicate with anyone at that moment. Her thoughts were too chaotic. That day felt surreal, almost. For some reason, Cordelia's presence caused a lot of worry and nervousness for Misty. Maybe it was the simple fact that the girl really admired the older blonde. Cordelia Foxx was a good teacher. Who wouldn't like her? Misty kept thinking about the woman while choosing some dry clothes and a towel for Emma. She left a pair of winter pajama pants, socks and a Fleetwood Mac T-shirt next to the bathroom, then knocked lightly on the door.

"Emma, I'm leaving the clothes next to the door, ok?"

A noise that resembled a very messed up 'Alright' came from the other side. Misty headed back to the kitchen.

The smell of mint was, in some way, enlightening. It was fresh and cold, comparing to any other kind of tea. Misty liked tea much more than coffee. It had an 'earthy vibe' that helped her relax and think clearer. The girl put 4 cups of tea on a tray, then headed upstairs, where Emma was already snuggled in her bed.

"It was pretty dumb of y'a to jump right in there." The girl stated, putting the tray on her working table.

"Gee! Thanks for the support, Swampy!" Emma muttered, covering herself with the blanket as much as she could.

Swampy. The nickname stuck with her throughout the year. It happened in March, last year in tenth grade. Misty was collecting plants in the swamps that extended throughout the woods, when a bunch of jocks pushed her in the mud. She had to go home like that. She had to walk around people like that: dirty and crying. It was a horrible memory.

"I don't mean to insult you or Ms. Foxx, Misty, but are you sure there's no other reason behind her... Umm... Decision?"

Regina's question made her heart pound like crazy in her chest. What other reasons than pure interest could there be?!

"What are you implying, Gina?" The girl asked, wide eyed.

"Misty, you stay with her a lot after classes."

"I water her plants, for God's sake!"

"Well, that's one way to put it." Emma scoffed, sipping tea.

Misty was practically boiling with anger on the inside. How could any of them think she had something with the teacher?!

"Seriously, though," Holtzmann added "Do you have a thing for the teacher?"

"What are you all implying?! I'm not attracted to her!"

"Firstly, calm down." The physicist ordered. "Secondly, and I'm talking from experience, there's a lot of times when you can't differentiate admiration and attraction. Remember when you thought you admired that girl, what's her name... Zoe?"

"In my defense, Zoe was my age." Misty pouted.

"So what? Cordelia's, like, 5 years older than you." Emma added. "She's hot, too."

"Misty, we're not saying that you shouldn't like her or that you like her at all." Regina stated as soon as she noticed the girl's face expression change from mild frustration to extremely real anger. "Just be careful."

"Yeah, Mendel. Take it easy."

"Mendel?" Emma questioned.

"As in Gregor Mendel."

Silence. Nobody really wanted to be the first one to talk after that. A fast thought passed through Misty's head. _What if they're right?_ No. They couldn't be. Cordelia was a teacher. She barely even talked to her, only when taking care of her plants or answering the teacher's questions. Misty was quite sure that whatever she felt was pure admiration.

"By the way, where're your parents?" Emma asked as she handed Holtzmann the empty cup of tea, who put it back on the tray.

"They're dead." Misty answered.

"Shit, man. I'm sorry."

The jock seemed to regret asking. Emma's relationship with her parents was probably a good one, since they seemed to be a united family. The thought of someone not having parents at all might've been a painful one for her.

"We're here for you. Ok?"

"Ok."

Regina rolled her eyes playfully at Emma's sudden wave of emphatic behavior. They seemed to develop some kind of friendship the other day.

"Softy." The brunette muttered.

"I'm very sensitive, Gina, okay?! Don't expose me like this." The jock pretended to be hurt, gaining another eye roll from Regina.

Misty checked the time. 2 hours passed since Emma and Regina arrived. Emma was visibly sleepy, yawning almost every single minute, eyes closing involuntarily.

"You can sleep in my bed." Misty proposed, heading out.

"Thanks, Swampy." The jock muttered before drifting to sleep.

Regina took her parents' room. It remained mostly untouched until that moment. There were plants almost everywhere: on the floor, on the shelves, next to the windows. Nothing could compare to Regina's utter amazement upon seeing the room.

"Holy F-" The brunette stopped herself from swearing.

"Impressive, right?" Misty asked with pride.

The blonde took Botany seriously. She enjoyed being surrounded by plants. They helped clear her mind. Regina seemed to be either astonished or disturbed by the discovery. 

"Is keeping this amount of plants even healthy?"

"Yes? Unless you sleep in a room with them, because..." Misty stopped herself. "Oh. Wait." the girl was reevaluating her choices. "Maybe sleeping here isn't the best idea."

"You really think so, Misty?" Regina asked, slightly irritated.

After a moment of deep thought, the brunette was given her grandma's old room. The smell of incense and candles faded away with time. Still, the several icons of religious personalities and crosses created a dreadful atmosphere, as if the scene were ripped from a horror movie.

"You know, between this and the plants, I'll choose the plants." Regina stated, taking a few steps towards the door. "Good night, Misty."

"At least crack a window open." The girl muttered, staring at a particular icon.

_Grandma was wiping blood off the frame._

_"Girl, yer parents were sinners. Ye have t'a pray for their souls!"_

Misty shook her head, trying to forget the memory. It was hard to do so, though. A child of her age, at that time, wasn't meant to see her mother's skull bashed open with a painting of St. George. She wasn't meant to live most of her life in the same house as a psychotic woman, who could've killed her any time. 

"Mendel?" Holtzmann called from behind. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just..."

"Wanna watch a movie?"

As always, they knew when was the right moment to interfere. The girl could've sworn that Holtzmann was some kind of psychic, knowing what people need at all times. The taller blonde nodded, following them downstairs.

"You know you're not the one to blame for what happened to your parents, right?" The physicist asked, turning the TV on.

"I know."

"Religious fanatics are often ill-minded, Misty. If anything, it was the fault of the police not to put your grandma in a hospital sooner."

"I could've said something."

"And you would've lost your house and your inheritance. Misty, you had a valid point back then. Don't screw yourself over for not wanting to lose the last thing remaining of your parents."

The girl gave Hotlzmann a sad smile. Somehow, whenever they spoke, it was either playful or incredibly clever. Misty truthfully admired her friend, not in the way she admired Cordelia, but still. Holtzmann was an example of a decent human being, from her point of view.

"Thanks, Holtz. For everything."

They gave her a sheepish grin, then turned their head to the TV set. ' _Beetlejuice_ '. Of course Holtzmann would choose that. They were obsessed with ghosts and the realm of the dead. From what Misty knew, Holtzmann even tried to prove ghosts existed along with some friends from a university lab they were allowed to practice in.

"Oh, by the way, how's science going?" The girl asked.

"Amazing. Abby had to go home, though. Her dad is sick, you know?"

Abby was Holtzmann's closest friend. Misty had seen her once or twice - a 20 years old university student who loved soup. She was much shorter than Misty, maybe about the same height as Holtzmann.

"So I'm staying in the lab with Erin. Patty visits us sometimes, brings us food. I don't get to see them often, though, since Patty is a History major and Erin doesn't seem to like being around me that much."

There was a note of pain in their tone. It was no secret that Holtzmann had a huge crush on the girl. They tried to give her various gifts, finish projects for Erin, flirt, take care of her when they had the chance. Holtzmann would basically do anything to prove Erin that they're worthy of her trust.

"Holtz, don't you think it's time to step back?" Misty asked, watching as their face fell. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know. It's just... I can't. She is... God, Misty, if you could see her the way I do..."

The taller blonde gave them a sad smile. Holtzmann was too deep in their fantasies about a perfect romance to analyze the situation properly. From what the girl could tell, Erin didn't feel the same way towards them. It was quite sad, knowing that their efforts were meaningless.

"Even if nothing is meant to happen, I'm just glad I got to be her friend, that I could take care of her. If she wants me to disappear, I'll do it."

"Holtz, is it really worth the struggle?"

"Of course." The physicist answered, turning their gaze to her.

She could never understand the depth of Holtzmann's loyalty towards their friends, towards humanity, really. It was like they fully trusted The Universe, no matter what.

"I'm here for you if you need me, alright?" Misty asked, hugging them.

"I know, soft giant. I know."

Holtzmann fell asleep almost immediately, their head resting on Misty's shoulder. The taller blonde was close to falling asleep, too, if it weren't for the sudden, strident noise her phone emitted. The girl rubbed her eyes, staring at the screen. _Incoming vocal message from Cordelia Foxx_. Misty turned the volume down on the phone as low as possible, then approached it to her ear, pressing play.

" _I'm sorry to bother you, Misty. I just want to make sure the details are clear_." it was almost inaudible, with another voice in the background. " _2 PM. Forest._ " All noise stopped. That wasn't Cordelia's style of communicating - abrupt and sloppy. The girl replayed the message, trying to listen to the background voice. It belonged to a male. For some reason, that made Misty feel weird. It was like she disliked that guy for being there, for having that annoying voice. Replay. If only Misty could turn up the volume, or at least search for the headphones and listen to it properly. She couldn't really move, with Holtzmann drooling on her shoulder. The girl replayed it again and again, until she could understand clearly what he was saying. " _Delia, get the fuck back here!_ "

"Oh shit." Misty found herself muttering, loud enough to wake up the small human that was resting next to them.

Holtzmann didn't question anything. Their body, as if it were made of rocks, fell on the sofa, head on a pillow. The physicist had impressive skills even in their sleep. As soon as she found herself capable of moving freely, Misty rushed outside, forgetting about the rain and the time. The girl called Cordelia, her hands trembling. What if she misheard it? Or worse, what if it was already too late? She didn't know how to deal with abuse. She's never suffered of an abusive relationship with her grandma or her friends. She had no clue of how to behave properly in these cases. 

"Hello?" Misty heard her teacher's voice, then sighed in relief.

 _Thank God!_ "Hey. I was wondering if... Um..." _Think of something!_ "Is it ok if we do everything on the terrain?" Even Misty couldn't understand the question she had asked. Good. It would buy her enough time to think of a plan if Cordelia was in danger. The man would think that the girl was just another student with no manners, who calls in the middle of the night to ask for the simplest, most obvious information about projects. "Also, are you safe?" she blurted out, not really knowing if she was going to regret it.

"Rephrase the question, please." Cordelia stated after a brief pause.

 _Shit! Why isn't she answering the second question?_ Misty was more than sure that "Are you safe?" was an easy question. Or did she exaggerate by asking that? 

"Nevermind. Do you have a way of reaching the forest? Do we need to pick you up?"

"No, Misty." Something shattered on the other side.

"Are you okay?"

"Misty, let's talk tomorrow morning. Thank you for calling, though. Good bye."

"Wait!"

Cordelia didn't hang up. That was good, right?

"Yes?"

"I have a question about the project."

"Misty-"

"Please."

Cordelia sighed. "Fine."

The girl would do anything to buy some time. Shit. What was she going to ask? Misty knew the project by heart. What could she ask, really?

"What should we bring?"

"Gloves and containers. I'm quite sure I wrote it there."

"A specific type of container?"

"Any container is fine."

The angry voice filled her ears again. Only if Misty could take her away from there...

"Is there any criteria for the worms?"

"Misty, you're not helping me."

On the one hand, the girl couldn't allow herself to give up and leave Cordelia alone with him. She had to continue. On the other hand, though, maybe messing around and trying to buy time would only harm the teacher. He could get angrier and angrier by every passing minute. Misty decided to listen to the older woman, since she could obviously assess the situation much better than some student who knew nothing of her private life.

"Fine." The girl sighed in defeat. "But if anything happens-"

She hung up before Misty could finish. The girl stood in the rain as much as she could, trying to feel its energy radiating through the forest, cleansing her body. Instead of calming her down, the rain brought her thoughts from the depth of her consciousness to the surface. Her emotions were floating above reason, as translucent as fog, as light as dust.

"Fuck." Misty giggled as it hit her. They were right, weren't they? How could anyone miss something THAT obvious?! The desire to make somebody like Cordelia admire her, the yearning to spend time with the teacher...  All came from the same place. 

"It wasn't admiration after all, huh?" Unexpectedly, Emma's voice sounded from above.

Misty looked up, spotting the jock, who was glancing at the woods, windows wide opened. _How does she know?_ the girl asked herself, gazing at Emma. _Why is she even awake?_

"Fuck." The shorter blonde repeated once again before Misty could reply, then walked away from window, leaving the girl by herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here y'a go, everybody! Misty's story. I hope you liked it! (Especially Misty's denial. "Admiration". Suuuure hon. We've all been there.)
> 
> Hohohooo seems like Misty isn't the only one dealing with feelings, tho! Smol hooman bean Holtzy and sinnamon roll Emma are having a bit of trouble, too...
> 
> I wrote this thing while going through an emotional roller coaster, so please ignore if it's not as polished as the last chapter. 
> 
> I didn't want Misty to be an abuse child, but I still wanted to keep the dark undertones of AHS, if you know what I mean. I don't really know what I'm gonna do with Cordelia, tho. I have some ideas, but I gotta plan them out. I'm EXTREMELY sorry for the lack of Supercorp, but I promise they'll have their moments in chapter 4. Heh, lesbians... 
> 
> Anyways, as always, suggestions accepted. Thank you for reading! Have a nice day, kids. Stay safe!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia breaks up with her abusive fiancé. The group of teenagers are doing the project, assisted by the older woman. Cordelia's feelings towards Misty grow stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxxay centered

Cordelia was scared. She's never done anything like that before. She's never stood up for herself before. Even though half a day passed since she left Hank and went back to her house, the woman's heart was still throbbing in terror. What if he came back? What if he followed her? But most importantly, was she going to regret it? Cordelia pushed those thoughts as deep as possible in her subconscious after parking in front of the woods. She was about to meet her students, who certainly didn't need to know about her shredded emotional state. She was about to see Misty Day. Misty - the girl who practically saved her from the abusive marriage that awaited her, the girl Cordelia felt a deep connection to, maybe too deep.

The woman soon spotted the four teenagers on the other side of the parking lot. She knew all of them quite well. Misty was the top of her class. Holtzmann was the student with the most... Peculiar ideas. Regina was not only the mayor's daughter, but also one of the few students with good grades, mostly A's. And Emma... Well... Everybody knew Emma. There was no way to avoid her.

"Good morning, Miss Foxx!" The jock exclaimed, stopping right in front of her.

"Hello, Emma." The teacher smiled.

"Don't mind her. She woke up 20 minutes ago." Regina stated, the jock glaring at her. "Shall we head into the woods?" The brunette asked, receiving a nod from the teacher.

Cordelia's heart was on the verge of exploding in her chest as soon as she spotted Misty, who paced silently beside Holtzmann, turning around from time to time. For a moment, her blue eyes gazed shyly at the older woman, causing the teacher to smile uncontrollably, unable to unglue her own eyes from the girl. Misty was nothing but perfect. She was sweet, kind and (Cordelia was more than sure that the thought was inappropriate) hot. The tight, dark blue jeans did her body justice.

"You're staring." Emma muttered as they walked deeper into forest.

"Excuse me?!"

"You're staring at her ass." The girl repeated shamelessly. "I don't blame you, but... You could be more discreet."

"I don't think another student's..." _Oh God._ "Body is a subject of debate or conversation, Miss Swan."

"Just saying." She shrugged, then walked faster to catch up with the rest of the group.

The terrain they've chosen was pretty solid, with some muddy puddles here and there. It was incredible that the soil didn't resemble some kind of disturbing pudding that their legs would stick to. There would be no problem with gathering worms, or so Cordelia thought. As soon as they were done setting up the equipment, which consisted of 2 plastic, medium containers, a bottle of water and five pairs of rubber gloves, Emma stood up, watching Holtzmann. They noticed it fast, then raised an eyebrow, questioning the jock's fixation.

"I bet 5 dollars and a lunch at Granny's I can gather more worms than you." She stated.

"One lunch and a new screwdriver." They began to bargain.

"One lunch and 10 dollars."

"Lunch, screwdriver and a Harley Quinn issue."

Emma squinted her eyes, scratching her chin. The interaction was extremely amusing. Both girls gave off an air of seriousness as they stared at each other, weighting the options.

"Which issue?" The jock questioned.

"New 51. Of your choice."

"Fuck yeah! Deal." They shook hands, then ran off.

Cordelia chuckled, staring at the girls as they were struggling to dig out the tiny animals. Emma had no strategy, whatsoever, just going for it, dipping her fingers in mud. Holtzmann, on the other hand, filled a container with water, then poured some dish soap in there (God knows where she found it) and mixed the liquids until the desired effect was achieved. She then poured the bubbly solution on the ground. Soon after, the worms started to crawl out of the ground, to Cordelia's surprise.

"Oh, fuck!" The jock cursed, staring at the other student's container. "You shit!"

"It's not my fault I did my homework." They grinned, then stood up, counting the worms. "Nineteen. You?"

"Eight." Emma grumbled, giving Regina the plastic container. "Shit."

"Are you angry because you lost or because you didn't get a Harley Quinn comic?"

"Both." Regina replied in her place with an unsatisfied face expression.

The girls started an inoffensive argument,  further away from Cordelia, gesturing aggressively towards each other as Holtzmann was watching them, sheer amusement splattered on their face. Something was missing...

"Misty!" The teacher blurted out, surprising herself.

Misty was nowhere to be seen. She didn't reply to the call, either. Cordelia was beginning to get worried, hundreds of scenarios passing through her head, unraveling horrible outcomes of what Misty could possibly go through at that moment.

"Where is she, though?" Regina asked, her question remaining unanswered.

"Shit. We gotta search for her." Emma muttered.

"Misty knows the woods better than herself, guys. She'll be fine." Holtzmann shrugged, watching them.

"I'm not sure she's safe. I mean... With the rain and everything..." Cordelia tried to articulate something, failing miserably.

They agreed on searching for the girl in spite of Holtzmann's request to leave Misty alone. They seemed to be frustrated with not being able to keep the rest of the group from searching for her. It was quite peculiar, in fact. Cordelia would have guessed that Holtzmann, most of all, would want to know that Misty is safe.

"She is fine." They mumbled under their breath.

"Well, Einstein, some of us want to make sure of that." Emma suddenly stated, a smug smirk on her face. "So we gotta let them make sure she's fine." The jock wiggled her eyebrows, glancing at Cordelia. "Right?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, wishing she could shut Emma's mouth somehow. They were calling Misty's name as they were pacing deeper into the woods. There was no trace of her.

"Here, hippie-hippie!" Emma proceeded to shout, earning a glare from Regina.

The jock gave the brunette a sheepish smile before closing her mouth for a longer time.

Oh, how annoying was Emma at times... She proceeded to insinuate that the teacher had feelings for Misty the whole time they searched for the girl. Nobody seemed to mind it, except for Cordelia, of course. Emma wasn't supposed to know anything. She wasn't supposed to notice. It was the teacher's fault. Cordelia was way too obvious. In her defense, though, she couldn't help but stare at her student. Misty was so beautiful. Even her movements seemed to be out of the ordinary, radiating with happiness and joy. Misty looked like she wanted to live and Cordelia found herself in love with that idea. The teacher was fond of the girl more than of her own fiancé... Well, ex-fiancé. Hank was a brute, a primitive, abusive brute. The young woman regretted every single make up product she wasted on covering what he had done. Their whole relationship was a wreck. It wasn't worth of anything.

"Hey." Emma suddenly woke up from her slumber, to Cordelia's disappointment. "Aren't you supposed to supervise the LGBT+ meetings?"

 _Shit. That's right._ The teacher wasn't able to attend the first meeting, due to Hank's demands of seeing her at home, ' _safe_ ' and not surrounded by _fags_. Oh, how much did she hate that word... How much did she hate that _man_ , though...

"Yes. Well..." _Think. Think of something. Now_. "I had to head home that day. There were some important issues that needed to be resolved."

Without any warning, Holtzmann stopped, obviously aggravated.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked, staring at them.

"Oh shit."

Emma pointed ahead. There was Misty, collecting flowers, one earphone in her ear. An old man, dressed in the simplest suit was pacing towards her, holding a knife in his right hand.

"Misty!" The teacher yelled out.

The girl turned around fast enough to notice him take a few steps back.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, dear." He apologized, knife still in his hand. "I wanted to collect those mushrooms you were looking at a while ago. If you wish to gather them, I will find another troop."

Only after he said that did Cordelia notice the plastic bag full of different kinds of fungi the man was holding. In that moment, the teacher realized she screwed up.

"It's fine." Misty stated with a smile. "I'm actually more interested in leaves and flowers."

With a satisfied smile, he proceeded to cut two mushrooms and head deeper into the forest, muttering a ' _Good bye_ ' before leaving.

"See? She's fine." Holtzmann stated, approaching Misty. "Right, Mendel?"

"Huh?" The girl looked up, still wearing her earphones.

"You alright?"

"Yep." The girl nodded, then proceeded to go back to inspecting the flowers.

Misty didn't seem to notice their worried faces at all. Cordelia was surprised by her capacity to concentrate on doing one task and remain undisturbed by the noise surrounding her. But then, she looked up. Cordelia wasn't ready for that. Misty's eyes, blue as the summer sky, petrified her. They seemed so candid, so pure. Only if she could stare at those eyes for the rest of her life...

"Sorry." The girl suddenly muttered, looking down. "I was... I... Sorry."

  
They headed back to the place they've chosen, only to find some crows eating the worms. Emma launched towards the birds, chasing them away.

"Dammit." The jock muttered, picking up her container.

"Did you know that a group of crows is called murder?" Holtzmann suddenly stated, unaware of everyone else's frustration. "Technically, a murder of crows is composed of 2 or more individuals, which means that one crow would be an attempted murder." They finished, chuckling.

"Holtz, we'll have to dig for worms again." Misty noted.

"No, we won't. I closed the container before leaving."

"You genius beam of light..." Misty whispered, looking at her friend.

  
"Now that we're done with collecting the worms, can we go home and dissect them?" Holtzmann asked, eyeing the animals.

  
After a long debate, the teacher finally agreed on heading to Misty's place to do the dissection. Her house was closer to the woods and she was told that the girl lived alone. Emma and Regina were driving ahead in Emma's car, while Misty and Holtzmann were sitting in the back of Cordelia's car. The silence was uncomfortable. It was obvious that the teenagers were aching to talk to each other. Well, the older blonde wanted to talk to one of them, too. Only if Holtzmann was in the other car...

"Miss Foxx?" Misty suddenly spoke up, distracting the woman for a fraction of second from the road.

"Yes, Misty?"

"Will you be coming to the next meeting?"

"What meeting?" The woman asked, confused.

"The LGBT+ group." Holtzmann interfered.

"Oh!" Well, of course. Misty was in that club, too, wasn't she? "Yes, I suppose. Only I don't know anything about these meetings."

"It's not a big deal. We do anything we want and we are free to discuss anything, without being afraid of oppression." The taller blonde shrugged. "It's nice. Perry brings tea from time to time. Laura bakes cookies. Carmilla sings when she's in the mood."

"Carmilla Karnstein?" Cordelia asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Mhm."

"Well, I just _Have_ to attend the meetings now, don't I?"

"I suppose you do." Misty said with a grin.

"That's not all, though." Holtzmann added. "The meetings are pretty boring in the beginning, but if you stick around long enough..."

"Remember that time Kara brought puppies for adoption?"

"Or when Madison Montgomery and Mrs. Nolan reenacted a part of Hamlet."

"I hope Maddie's fine in the hospital." Misty voiced.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you used to be friends."

"What happened to her?" Cordelia couldn't help but ask.

"She overdosed." One of them replied. "She's been in a coma for quite a while." It was Holtzmann who answered.

Misty glanced at the window, brows knotted. The loss of a close friend must've been hard for the girl.

"I'm sorry." Cordelia apologized.

"It's OK." Misty muttered a half-hearted answer.

"Do you have any tips for me?" The teacher asked, trying to forget about the subject.

"Be yourself, I guess?"

"And don't just watch from afar. It feels like we're a bunch of freaks. Get involved."

"Alright." The older woman smiled as she parked in front of Misty's house.

It wasn't a big building. The inside was cozy and warm, with wooden walls and simple designs. The bathroom, the kitchen and the living room were all on the first floor. The second floor had three bedrooms, the only one of them with an unlocked door being Misty's. Regina, Emma and Holtzmann were all hanging out in the taller girl's room, while Misty herself was busy downstairs. Cordelia leaned on the doorframe, watching the girl as she was pouring tea in five cups.

"Do you need help?" The older woman asked, pacing slowly towards her.

"No, thanks." The girl replied with a smile. "By the way, what hour is it?"

"Five PM." Cordelia replied, checking her phone. Already?!

There were tens of missed calls and messages from Hank. Just looking at the notifications made Cordelia panic.

"Miss Foxx?" Misty asked hesitatingly.

"Goode."

"Excuse me?"

"Miss  _Goode_." Cordelia clarified.

"Oh." Misty smiled. "I'm just glad you're okay."

 _What?_ How was she supposed to reply to that? The sentence left her speechless. Nobody told her that in more than two years. It was... It was good to finally hear it. Somebody cared about her.

"Thank you, Misty."

The younger girl gave her a sheepish grin, then took the tray with the cups and headed upstairs. Cordelia could only wish to hug her student, to thank her for everything. When she walked in the bedroom, the girls had a dissected worm pinned to a metallic tray, while another one, still alive, was twisting and swirling.

"This is fucking creepy." Emma muttered. "How can you drink tea and cut a worm at the same time?"

"What's so surprising?" Regina asked carelessly. "You just have to copy what I write, anyways." The brunette earned a glare from the jock with that phrase.

After filming the worms while Misty was explaining how they were anatomically constructed, Cordelia decided that it was time to head home. She couldn't allow herself to stay more than strictly needed in a student's house. It was unethical. It was very, very wrong. She put her black coat on, then made sure she took everything.

"Did you forget anything?" Misty asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"No, I think. If you find anything of mine, however, please call me."

"Of course." The girl smiled, then carefully, as if not to scare Cordelia, took a step forward. "Be careful, alright? Call me if you need anything."

"Alright." The teacher chuckled, gazing at Misty.

Her emotions were so sincere... It was incredible. Those blue eyes did things to Cordelia that she couldn't possibly understand. They made her heart skip a beat, her breath become fast and irregular. _Fuck it_. There was no appropriate way to thank the girl for everything, except for a hug, a long, tight hug. A hug that would keep her wondering of how much she needed the girl in her life, how much she could bare not having Misty in her thoughts. It was almost embarrassing, the speed she threw her arms around the taller blonde, the way she hid her nose in the crook of Misty's neck.

"Thank you." The teacher whispered, letting go, somewhat unwillingly.

"No problem." The younger blonde sketched a wide grin.

"Good bye, Misty."

"Bye, Miss Goode."

* * *

 

As soon as Cordelia walked into her apartment, the smell of Chanel No. 5 filled her nose. Of course her mother would come as fast as she could to accuse her daughter of failing once again in life. The woman was sitting on the white, leather sofa, staring out the window. She had a glass of God knows what in her right hand, cigarette in the left one.

"You really broke up with him, hm?" Fiona asked, turning her gaze to Cordelia.

"It doesn't concern you in any way."

"Of course it does, Delia." The woman grinned, standing up. "I am your mother."

The younger blonde could feel her mother's eyes mocking her in every way possible. Cordelia felt like she had to hide everything while her mother was in town, from the things Hank did to her to the most innocent secrets, like the crush on a certain student.

"What did he do to you, Delia? Why did you break up?"

"It went wrong, alright?! Please, leave me alone."

"You naive creature..." Fiona sighed. "You're utterly blind. Look at your face, Delia. All these years, you let him do this to you. What changed?"

There was no way she could tell her mother about Misty. What would Fiona think of her?!

"Where were you, anyways?"

"I was helping a group of students with their homework."

"You could've been great, Delia. Instead, you chose to be..." Fiona waved her hand in the younger blonde's direction, disgust in her eyes. "This. A Biology teacher. Why the fuck would you take that decision, Delia?"

"Maybe I wanted to do something meaningful with my life! I wanted to be productive and not smoke my soul out and snort lines of coke all day!" She snapped.

The look on Fiona's face wasn't something Cordelia wanted to witness. She fucked up. She snapped at the only woman she was ever afraid of, the only woman who could ruin her in a moment.

"I'm sorry." The younger woman tried to apologize, but it was too late. Her mother was on her way out, cigarette between her fingers, the glass of whiskey on the table.

"I couldn't care less for your half-assed apologies." The older woman stated, opening the front door. "By the way, I got you a gift for making one smart decision in this life."

And just like that, Fiona Goode was gone. Just like that, her mother succeeded in destroying a whole day of her life once again. Cordelia swore to God she'd do anything to make her mother feel the way she had felt for 23 years. The young teacher was very close to falling asleep while watching some documentary she had stumbled upon when her phone lit up.

 _Misty_  
_Are you ok?_

It was sweet of Misty to think about her. The thought of somebody, especially the girl caring about her was doing all kinds of things to the teacher.

 _Cordelia_  
_I am. How are you?_

 _Misty_  
_I'm ok._

And now? The woman didn't want to stop talking to Misty. The girl was like a ray of sun - warm and nice.

 _Cordelia_  
_What did you do to the worms?_

 _Misty_  
_We fed them to the neighbour's cat._

 _Cordelia_  
_Misty!_

 _Misty_  
_It was funny! He was catching them mid-air. I mean, come on!_

 _Cordelia_  
_Misty, why would you feed worms to a cat?_

 _Misty_  
_It is funny! Holtz got the idea. She's a genius._

Of course it was Holtzmann's idea. The most peculiar thoughts belong to the most peculiar people. Even though Jillian was a bright student, she was extremely strange, in a good way, of course.

 _Misty_  
_Emma is asking if you're gonna come to the next meeting._

 _Cordelia_  
_Most likely, I am._

_Seen 9:26 PM_

Only if Misty knew how much Cordelia enjoyed talking to her... The woman scrolled through the photos and the videos she took during their field trip. To her own surprise, a lot of them were either Misty with somebody or only Misty. _Cordelia Goode, you are the definition of creepy._ She thought, selecting most of the pictures and deleting them. One of them, though, was too stunning to delete. Misty's eyes seemed so real. It appeared as if they stared back at her. _What have you gotten into, Goode?_ The woman sighed. Having feelings wasn't fun anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SORRY!!!! IF I COULD, I'D WRITE IT MUCH FASTER BUT I HAD EXAMS AND A FUCKED UP SCHEDULE AND JUST :)))))) I'M SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEEE
> 
> I'M SORRY IF THIS IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHER CHAPTERS I BEG FOR FORGIVENESS, ALMIGHTY GAYS™! 
> 
> I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER I'LL GAY IT UP FOR ALL OF YOU, SUPERCORP HOES! SUGGESTIONS! YES! PLEASE I'M SORRY OK BYE. 
> 
> BTW, I'm thankful to this amazing hooman bean who helps me out when I need it the most. You can find her on Tumblr: extra-mt16. Amazing hooman. Ray of inspiration. Go read her fanfics. They are. Gay™. They are. Life. (I'm serious they cure sadness tested on myself 100% works) go read the fics. Go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is at war with her emotions as they begin to take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Supercorp
> 
> (I was debating on titling this chapter 'I'm sorry')

Lena's eyes gazed upon Kara's perfect body. The toned muscles, the blue, innocent puppy eyes... The brunette bit her lip, crossing her legs. Kara was so stunning, so attractive... And she was staring right back. Lena pushed a half-hearted smile on her lips, pretending she wasn't thinking of the blonde's head between her legs. Something ached in her core when she glanced at Kara. Only if her fondness was strictly sexual... The worst part was that Lena truly loved the innocent jock. That day was much more different than the others, when Lena only wished for the blonde to hold her tight. That day, Kara wore her gym attire. Lena could only dream about Kara liking her back, even a little. She wasn't sure how much more she could pretend to be just a friend.

English Lit was straight up boring, that until Mr. Booth, a relatively young teacher, opened a book with a white cover, then eyed his class reluctantly. He seemed to think whether doing what he had in mind was a good idea or not. The man gave them a weak smile and then, with a sigh, proceeded to put the book down, holding it open with one hand.

"So, kids, how many of you are accustomed with the idea of lust?"

A few giggles and whistles made their way through the thin air. The teacher seemed unimpressed, embarrassed, disappointed almost. He leaned in his chair, then brought up the book.

"This is a quote from ' _Blue Eyes, Black Hair_ ' by Marguerite Duras. I want to know your opinions on it." He cleared his throat, then proceeded to read the section. " _'As long as nothing happens between them, the memory is cursed with what hasn't happened.'_ "

The quote spoke to Lena all too well. It felt as if the teacher chose it for her, picked it carefully out of the book and slapped it on her face.

"Any ideas?"

"I think it's about the way lust consumes you, contrary to love and leaves you wanting more." A girl, two seats in front of her stated.

The teacher seemed to disagree with her opinion, his brows knotted.

"It's not about lust. It's about longing." Lena found herself saying, catching the man's attention.

"Explain." He demanded, putting the book aside.

"Memories like that tend to be filled with emotion. The thing is, those moments are memorable, because they're always one step away from being fulfilled. You're one step away from kissing her, one step away from confessing. That's the thing that makes those memories special, the regret of not being able to change anything at all and at the same time, the happiness and the will to live them again. It's rather painful, but somehow so satisfying."

"I don't see how it has anything to do with longing, Ms. Luthor."

"It's the longing of living a moment over and over, knowing that you'll always be one step away from what could've happened."

He narrowed his eyes, staring at the pages of the book. The discussion became rather interesting, challenging her creative side.

"What animal would you compare lust to, class?"

Most people agreed on the snake. Lena confessed to herself that there was no better creature she could've thought of at that moment, no matter how much she hated it.

"Now, Ms. Lucas said something about Lust consuming people. Care to explain?"

The girl kept her mouth shut, glancing at the teacher.

"Alright then. Ms. Luthor?"

Lena started to dislike the fact that she replied then. Even though Mr. Booth was known for giving high grades, the wrong wording in that discussion could've costed her a lot.

"Well..." She started, not knowing what to say.

"Do you agree with that idea? Do you think lust consumes people?" He tried to help her out.

"I suppose I do."

"Why?"

One look at Kara was enough to make her speak again. She knew the subject well. She lived through it almost every single day.

"If you give in, you want more. If you don't, you can barely control yourself."

"And what stops people from giving in?"

"Shame."

"How come?"

"The shame a person must live through if anything goes wrong is too overwhelming." Lena tried hard not to glance at the blonde.

"Is there a difference between love and lust, Ms. Luthor?"

"If there is, I have yet to feel it."

The bell rang, finally. The interrogation was over.

"Alright, class! For Wednesday, finish _'The Portrait of Dorian Gray'_."

Mr. Booth sat back in his chair, reading the book with the white cover. Lena was glad he didn't notice her passing by, otherwise he'd continue the discussion, or so she thought, at least. Kara was walking by her side, a wide smile on her face. Looking at that image made Lena's heart beat ten times faster.

"I bet he'll give you an A for those answers." The girl noted.

"I don't know. Could've been better."

"You're just being humble." Kara giggled. "Do you wanna invite people over, still?" The girl asked, full of enthusiasm.

 _Ah, yes_. How could she forget about it? The other night, while Kara was complaining about how she couldn't find friends on the softball team, Lena decided to invite the LGBT club over to her house, which meant half of the softball team, including the captain, Emma Swan and the captain of the volleyball team, Danny Lawrence. That way, she could meet new people and pave the way for Kara. It was quite pathetic. She'd do anything for the blonde.

"Do we invite everyone or just the girls?" Kara asked.

"Why only the girls?" Lena replied, confused.

"It seems like you like a girl. I mean, at least from what you've said in class."

 _Oh no_. Lena chuckled, looking at Kara, trying to hide the fact that she was mortified by the blue eyed girl's conclusion.

"Do you really think I wouldn't tell you if I liked somebody?"

"Now that you said it..." The jock smiled. "But you'd tell me, right? No matter who it was."

"No. Yeah. No. I mean... Of course!" The brunette frowned, nodding.

"Good!" The girl smiled.

Something was wrong, Lena could feel it. Kara lowered her eyes and kept on smiling. She was hiding something. The brunette decided to ask her friend what happened later, since the middle of the corridor wasn't the best place to discuss private matters.

"How's it going with Mike?" Lena suddenly remembered the boy who was crushing on Kara.

"He is a child! He followed me to my house yesterday and refused to leave! I told Alex about it and she was very close to murdering him."

"Alex is in town?"

Alex was Kara's older sister. She was extremely supportive of Kara, since she, too, was gay.

"Yeah. They arrived yesterday. By the way, they got engaged!" Kara squealed, full of joy.

"Alex Danvers? Getting married?!"

"I can't believe I'll be the maid of honor at my sister's wedding!"

Kara's smile filled Lena with warmth.

"Anyways," The blonde looked at the time. "I have Math and you know how Mr. Whale can get when you're late to his class. See y'a!" Kara gave her a tight hug, then walked away, checking the time.

The bell rang. Lena headed to Physics on her own, without the stunning blonde following her around.

 

The rest of the day went fine. Emma and Regina were a somewhat nice, new addition to their table. Kara found out she liked spending time with Emma and that the other jock was really nice when she wanted to. Everybody understood why Regina sat at their table. Emma's case, though, was a complete mystery. Her old group watched them with questioning looks. Misty was absent, staring at walls, or so they thought, until Emma caught her and Ms. Cordelia staring at each other. She barely touched her food, too. Regina and Holtzmann were talking about some building in the center of the city, probably the old fire station. Holtzmann was planning on doing something with it, or so it sounded. Lena told them about the party. In some minutes, the whole softball team knew of it and then, the rest of the LGBT kids found out the same way. Kara looked happy, whispering a 'thank you' to Lena. It made her heart flutter. After school, Regina and Holtzmann headed to her mother's office and Misty, as usual, to Ms. Cordelia's classroom. Lena was waiting for Kara in the parking lot. The girl promised to help with preparations. As time passed, the brunette felt more and more like Kara wasn't coming over. The girl's phone vibrated in her pocket. _Jess_.

"Hey." Lena answered the call, still watching out for Kara.

" _Evening, Ms. Luthor. I was wondering when you'd get home. Maybe even help me with the boxes, you know..._ " Jess commented, obviously bitter about the lack of help.

"I'm sorry." The girl apologized, running a hand through her dark hair. "I promise I'll be home in five minutes. Kara's not here and I'm kind of worried and what if something happened to her-"

" _I feel as if your crush on Ms. Danvers is going to drive both of us, but mostly you, crazy_." Her mother's secretary interrupted her.

"It's not that bad!"

" _Oh, believe me. It is. Have you ever thought about confessing? I'm pretty sure she feels the same._ "

"What the fuck?! Do you want me to die, Jess?! Do you want me to have a heart attack?! Why would you even suggest that?!" Lena exaggerated, raising her eyebrows.

" _I don't want you to die. That's why I'm asking if you want to tell her. You know, I'm pretty sure she into yo-_ "

"Jess."

" _Lena. Come home and then we'll talk. Be safe._ "

* * *

 

She didn't get any messages or calls from Kara on her way home. The brunette started to get worried. What if Kara was in trouble and needed her help? After parking her car, Lena entered the flat, then climbed three floors to her apartment. Jess opened the door before she could knock.

"Finally." The secretary breathed out, then sat on a pile of cardboard boxes. "No Kara?"

"No Kara." Lena barely muttered, a sad smile on her face.

Jess's eyes began to water at the sight of her boss's daughter, a girl she knew since her days as an intern, heartbroken and on the verge of tears. Lena was the only Luthor worth of affection and protection. That girl was worth much more than her whole fortune. It was wrecking to know that her family considered her less than perfect.

"Lena, look at me." The woman ordered, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're more than good enough. I just want you to know that, okay? And if Kara chooses some guy over you, well... She's stupid."

"Hey!" Lena shouted, glaring at Jess. "Don't call her stupid! She's amazing."

"She's alright."

The secretary giggled at her face expression, then gave the teenager a wide, reassuring smile. Jess got used to having the role of the older sister when Lex couldn't be there for Lena.

"We have drinks and the food is coming in... 40 minutes." The woman announced, checking the time. "Your mother's alcohol is hidden safely and all fragile objects are put away."

"Thank you, Jess." The girl smiled, eyes still sad, then headed to her room.

"I'm gonna kill you, Danvers." The secretary mumbled, watching as Lena was pacing away.

* * *

  
The house was full. The party gays arrived first, to Lena's disappointment. They brought their own drinks, their own music, even their own food. Out of the huge ensemble of people that had gathered with time, Lena knew some of the girls and two guys. There was no sight of Emma and Kara, much to Lena's disappointment. Knowing Emma's reputation and Kara's fondness of the shorter jock, Lena began to feel her heart beat harder against her chest. It was rather painful to think of those two together. Was it jealousy?

"Luthor!" Misty exclaimed. "You're pale. Are you sure everything is fine?"

"Yeah. I mean, sure." Lena frowned, nodding. "I just... There's a lot of people."

"And the main cause of this havoc doesn't even mind to show up..." Regina muttered. "Where the hell are they?"

"Probably exercising." Misty shrugged. "I see Emma run circles on the field when I walk home. She's running till 8, usually so there's no need to worry."

"What are you doing in Cordelia's office till 8?" Regina narrowed her eyes.

"I... Uh..." The taller paused. "Why do you care so much about Emma? I thought you hated her."

Regina glared at Misty, mouthing something in Spanish as the other girl tried to avoid her gaze. With every passing second, Lena's heart was filling more and more with worry. What if Kara was hurt? What if she'll never get a chance to look at her again or hear Kara's voice?! The brunette was pretty sure she was going to pass out.

"Oh, wow." Holtzmann suddenly marveled, staring at the door, mouth slightly opened.

Lena glanced in that direction. Her jaw dropped immediately. Kara was wearing her glasses, a snap back and a whole new sports attire. The dark blue crop top exposed her toned abdomen, while the leggings of the same color seemed to be tight, almost too tight on her body, exposing every curve. Lena barely suppressed a moan, watching as the girl walked through the crowd, straight to the bathroom. How could her very-lesbian look, consisting of black, ripped jeans, a flannel shirt around her waist and a white tank top compete with that?! How could Kara ever think she was hot?! In that moment, Lena took a lifesaving decision. She needed to find Jess. As soon as she walked out of the living room, the girl was pulled into the bathroom. She stumbled backwards, almost falling into the person whose grasp was still tight around her wrist.

"I'm sorry for bailing on you." Kara said with a smile, locking the door behind them. "It's just... I've been exercising with Emma and I couldn't call you and just... I'm sorry."

Unexpectedly, the blonde wrapped her arms around Lena's shoulders, hugging her tight. The brunette felt her heartbeat fasten as Kara's body was pushing into hers. She couldn't even hug her back. Lena was petrified, staring wide eyed at the bathroom wall, trying to control her breathing and her heart rate as she felt the jock's body against hers. The hug was long, tighter by every passing second. The only thing going through Lena's mind were the numerous fantasies of her and Kara, all at once, as if it were a twisted movie.

"I'm really sorry." Kara stated again, somehow tightening the embrace even more.

It was probably because of the fact that the brunette didn't hug her back. She would've wanted to push her own body against hers as much as possible, pretending it was an innocent act, but she couldn't. Kara's bare, hot skin pressing against her clothes was too much.

"If you want, I can stay the night and-" Lena was staring into those big, blue eyes. It was terrifying. She felt so weak against them. "Lena?"

She couldn't stand it anymore. The brunette leaned in, unable to control herself. It felt right. Kara's innocent smile, her eyes... Oh God, her eyes... Right before their lips touched, Lena pulled back, somewhat in control of her body. The look in Kara's eyes was heart-wrenching. She appeared to be confused, angry and most of all, terrified. _Oh God, what have I done?_ Lena thought to herself, sprinting out of the bathroom to her room. She needed Jess.

It was an old habit, crying under the table. Lilian hated to see Lena show any sign of weakness, so the girl got used to sobbing silently under her table, knees to her chest, face hidden. As much as she liked to pretend that whatever she was doing was sobbing, while pondering on what happened, it wasn't true. Lena was crying more than she thought she could. She was trying to shout, to make some sound come out of her lungs and failed miserably.

"Miss Luthor! " Jess gasped, seeing Lena in that state, then rushed to the girl. "What happened?"

"I... I..." The younger brunette hid her face in her hands, unable to say anything at all.

"Are you hurt?"

Lena shook her head, trying to control herself.

"Is it about Kara?"

After an extremely short pause, the girl started crying hysterically. Jess sat next to her, one arm over her shoulders.

"It's gonna be okay." The older woman whispered, playing with Lena's hair. "You'll be fine."

"Promise?" The girl sketched a sad smile, burying her nose in Jess's shoulder.

"Promise."

After a while, the noise began to move further away from them. Eventually, they heard the sound of the opening door. People were leaving, apparently all at once. Much later, the door closed with a loud bang.

"Lena!" Kara's voice suddenly echoed through the house as she was pacing to her room, making the brunette shut her eyes tight, sobbing. "Lena, please, look at me." The blonde said, sitting next to them.

"Kara, go." Were the only words the other girl could mutter, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Lena." She begged, her voice breaking as she reached for the brunette's hand, only to be rejected. "Look at me."

"Kara, leave!"

"Listen-"

"Leave!" The brunette shouted, glaring at her. "For fuck's sake, just leave!"

It hurt her to see Kara like that. The blonde was on the verge of tears, brows knotted. She stood up, then headed to the door hesitatingly.

"I'm sorry." The jock whispered before disappearing.

Lena Luthor, for the first time in her life, broke down. The words she said to Kara were tearing into her, blaming her for everything. _She wouldn't have left you if you weren't like this. She wanted to leave._ The girl let her head fall on Jess's lap. She was tired.

"Do you wanna go to school tomorrow?" The older woman asked, playing with her hair.

Lena shook her head, staring into the darkness. She didn't want to see Kara, if that was possible. _Bullshit. You need to see her._ The voice in her head was right. Kara was her drug.

"You can find another girl, better than her."

"I don't want to." The teenager muttered.

 

As Lena was drifting off to sleep, one thought occupied her head. How much she'd like to give up right there, in that moment... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update??? More likely than you think. I'm going on vacation on Thursday and idk if I'll be able to write. Anyways, what did you think about the chapter? I told you I'd gay it up a bit. Jess the secretary deserves all the pay rises in this world. She deserves her own theme song. 
> 
> Inform me of your suggestions, thoughts and aspirations. Also, idk if I'm able to continue writing 4 pairings at the same time. This shit needs strategy. And lemme tell you, I'm bad at strategy. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day! Bye bye! 
> 
> P. S. This is only the beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically every day of Holtzmann's life is an adventure. They try to stay positive. It pays off in the end. (kinda)
> 
> PTSD tw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbert
> 
> Mention of Supercorp

Holtzmann liked school, more or less. The reason behind it wasn't odd at all. It made them feel less lonely. They were too tired to remember the first three periods, which usually were the worst. Everyone was sulky in the morning, no exceptions. After talking to their friends at lunch, they always felt much happier than before. In fact, the people in school made their day better.

It was Tuesday. Holtzmann rushed through Chemistry, English Lit and German half asleep. They were pretty sure they couldn't remember a thing, despite of how much they loved German. A change of schedule was more than necessary. As usual, they arrived first at the table in the cafeteria and settled on eating homemade food. The snacks the school cafeteria was selling didn't suit their preferences. In addition, mom's sandwiches were much better than a bag of stale chips or a can of expired soda.

"Hey, Holtz." Misty greeted, sitting by them. "What's new?"

"Not much. I'm gonna go to the market-"

"That one?"

Misty loved the market they were talking about. It was full of flowers and plants. Sometimes, people would show up with animals for adoption. That's how Holtzmann almost ended up with a cat... Or a dog... Or a parrot... Or a snake...

"Yeah, that one, after classes. I thought I'd buy something for Patty's uncle. His birthday's today."

"The uncle whose hearse you blew up?"

"Yeah. Wanna tag along?"

The girl shook her head, while eating her sandwich. Holtzmann's mom made two sandwiches, one for them and one for Misty. The taller blonde was a welcome guest in their house, along with Abby, Patty and Kevin. Their parents even wanted to officially adopt Misty at one point. Holtzmann wouldn't mind that at all. They liked the idea of a sister.

"Any particular reasons?"

"Nope. I promised Cordelia I'd take care of the plants and help her rearrange the lab stuff."

Holtzmann wiggled their eyebrows, much to Misty's annoyance. The girl continued to dig in her sandwich, refusing to look at the object of her affection, no matter how much she desired it. Cordelia was glancing at the taller blonde constantly, her eyes slightly darker than usual, waiting patiently for Misty to look at her. The romance composed entirely of stares. Holtzmann never thought they'd live long enough to see it.

"How're things with Erin?" The taller blonde suddenly asked.

"She still doesn't want to talk to me."

Holtzmann couldn't understand what they've done wrong. Erin refused to acknowledge their presence. They couldn't be mad at that. The woman probably had her motives.

"I thought she liked you. As a friend."

"Yeah, I thought so, too."

Misty pitied them and Holtzmann couldn't understand why. They were a happy human with a good family and loyal friends. Surely, their crush on Erin was a bit awkward, but not worthy of pity. Was there something they couldn't see? That was a question for another day. Holtzmann couldn't really understand the reason behind a lot of things that were considered normal, like unnecessary aggression. That's a small part that explained why they didn't like jocks. In fact, they were scared of jocks. Soon enough, Regina, followed by Emma and Kara sat at the opposite side of the table, all with frowns on their faces.

"What's up?" The shorter jock asked, opening a bag of chips, inspecting their expressions. "Why's everybody sad today?!"

"I'm fine." Misty shrugged, finishing her food.

"Same." Holtzmann stated, then narrowed their eyes, looking at them doubtfully. "Where's Lena?"

"Don't!" Emma shouted, covering Kara's ears. "We don't talk about the L person at this table."

"The lesbian?" Regina muttered, sketching a smile.

"Oh, you scheming minx, with your adorable sense of humor..." Emma smirked, looking at Regina. "Seriously, though. No talk about Lena today."

"It's fine." Kara mumbled, staring at her shoes. "I can explain... Kind of." The girl took a few shaky breaths, then looked at the group, brows knotted. "Lena tried to kiss me. I got scared. She must've seen it and taken it for rejection."

They certainly didn't expect that. Lena Luthor seemed way too collected to do something that impulsive. Of course, her fondness of Kara was obvious even to the most naive people on this earth, but still, Holtzmann couldn't quite imagine the Luthor doing such a thing.

"Wait, what do you mean tried to kiss you?" Holtzmann asked, raising an eyebrow. "If she went for it and you pushed her away, well..."

"No! She stopped halfway. I mean, not halfway, but... She was very close, but she stopped!"

"Oh... And then?" Misty questioned.

"And I was confused and scared and I couldn't do anything and... And I just froze!"

"Why did it take you by surprise, though? She's been falling for you since day one." Regina added.

"Long before that." Misty commented. "I mean before you began to sit at our table and all."

"Why didn't I notice it?!" The taller jock questioned, evidently frustrated.

"Because you're oblivious to a lot of things, dear." Regina answered, folding her napkin.

"Do you like her back?" Misty asked.

"Of course I do! At least I think I do! Have you met her?! Have you seen her face?!"

"Her bo-" Emma started, interrupted by Regina's glare. "I meant her amazing, great personality and soul?!"

"God dammit!" Kara bumped her head on the table. "What should I do now?! It's not like I can say 'sorry I screwed up and froze' and she'll forgive me..."

"Call her?"

"She's not picking up."

"Go to her house."

"Her secretary won't let me in." Kara sighed.

"Wait!" The young physicist shouted, staring at their own phone. "I might have the solution. What if I call her and invite her over to our labs, you know, to blow off some steam, blow up things and Kara, meanwhile, can pay us a visit."

"I don't think that having a Luthor, explosives and the person who hurt her in the same room is the best idea." Regina theorized, evidently thinking that both Lena and Lex had a similar nature.

"It's a brilliant idea!" Emma exclaimed, in spite of Regina's conclusion. "Lena wouldn't hurt Kara, no matter how mad she was at her!"

"Alright, then! Let me call some people and see if the lab is available."

Holtzmann talked to Abby for less than one whole minute. The lab was way too busy for a sixth person to squeeze in, no matter if the sixth person was Lena Luthor herself, the Einstein of their generation. They had to give up on that plan. Holtzmann informed the rest of the group with a pout.

"So, if the idea with the lab failed, then how about Kara just goes up to Lena's window and begins to throw rocks?" Emma asked. "It works. I guarantee."

"Are you kidding me? No, thank you. Those windows would cost me a kidney." Kara refused, checking her phone.

"Text her ten more times, then. See if I care."

"Go with a gift. Buy her food and sneak a note inside, then give it to the secretary. No intentions, no nothing." Regina proposed, making the taller jock smile at the idea.

"Thank you!" She gave the brunette a quick hug, then ran off.

"What is she doing? She's got 3 more periods till the end of the day." Regina complained, raising an eyebrow.

"Let her be."

Holtzmann was satisfied with their progress for the day. Helping or at least trying to help a friend always felt good. Three more periods and they'd be free to go to the market, then to the lab, where Erin would be writing something, as always, too concentrated to notice them.

Geography, Astronomy and Physics AP were a bliss. Everything was easy to learn and entertaining, Holtzmann concluded while pacing through the stands. They planned on buying the piece they'd destroyed for Mr. Tolan and a new set of cards to decorate their motorcycle with. Aces on motorcycles always looked rad. After picking up both items on their list, the physicist headed happily back to their vehicle. Suddenly, their eyes stumbled upon a small toy, which was further away on a stand. The tiny dog with light brown, curly fur and reddish ears reminded them of Erin. _Maybe she'll like it._ After buying the toy for half its initial price, they paced happily to their motorcycle.

Abby was serious when she said that the lab was going to be busy. All of their team was there, even Kevin. Nobody really understood why Kevin was hanging out in the lab, but they didn't really mind it. They greeted everyone, then quietly headed to their workplace. Holtzmann felt in the right mood for discoveries and inventions. It was a good day for science.

"Hey, Holtzy!" Patty waved with a grin while approaching their desk. "How's your day in school, tiny?"

"It was fine." They replied, setting a small, definitely too-small-to-start-a-hazard piece of wood on fire. "Yours?"

"It was alright."

"That's a lie!" Abby shouted from the other corner of the room. "She argued with Begley for the whole period in front of the whole class!"

"Bitch, don't expose me like that!"

"It's not my fault you're lying!" Abby said, approaching their table. "To be fair, though, he was wrong." She then whispered, making sure only their group would hear it.

"Definitely."

"Who thought they'd allow vegetables to teach people?"

"Dude looks like an old orange." Patty said with a disgusted face expression.

"More like a wrinkled coy fish."

"Scaly carrot." Holtzmann added.

Patty snorted with laughter at their comment, followed by Abby's silent chuckle.

"He might-" The taller woman started, laughing.

"What's happening?" Holtzmann asked, a confused smile on their face.

"He might have it." Abby finished off what Patty started, exploding into laughter. "Oh God, I can't erase the image out of my head." She wheezed.

"Jesus sh- You two are fucking nasty, let me tell you that." They muttered with a wide grin on their face. "That's unacceptable." Holtzmann stated as they grabbed the extinguisher, then put out the fire on their desk.

"Anyways." Abby stretched with a yawn. "I'm gonna go and finish the project. Two sleepless nights are more than enough to drive me crazy and make me a caffeine addict." She stated. "Have fun kids!"

They watched as Abby walked to her table, then instructed Kevin to buy her more coffee. It suddenly occurred to Holtzmann that they almost missed a very important holiday.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." They smiled, taking the heavy, metal part from under the table. "That's the piece of the hearse your uncle needs. Tell him Holtzmann said Happy Birthday."

Patty's expression was priceless. She couldn't believe her eyes, not even one bit.

"Holtzy, baby! You're the shit!"

"Thank." They muttered, staring at their opened backpack. The dog was looking back at them. Should they give it to Erin? _What if she gets angry?_ It was worth the risk. Holtzmann took a deep breath, then grabbed the toy and walked up to Erin's desk, careful not to disturb her. They put it gracefully on the table, then as if realization hit them, took a sticky note and scribbled ' _I'm sorry_ ' and put it under the dog. That was good enough, right? She walked back to their table as fast as possible under Abby's watchful gaze. The woman shook her head, mouthing _'You shouldn't have'_. What did she mean? Of course they should've done it! Holtzmann decided to ignore the comment and work on their projects. The lab was a fantastic place. It felt like home.

"Thanks, Kevin." They heard Erin's voice and looked up.

The woman was holding the dog, smiling. Holtzmann smirked to themselves, looking down. It didn't matter whether Erin thought Kevin or them gave her the dog. They were glad she liked it.

"What?" The man asked, then took the dog from her hands. "Hey, doggie!" He smiled, playing with it.

"Didn't you give it to me?"

"No? I just took it from you."

"Then..."

 _Fuck_. Holtzmann thought, feeling Erin's glare on them. The words _ABANDON MISSION_  flashed in a bright, gooey green in their head. Erin wasn't happy. They shouldn't have done that. Holtzmann rushed to the door, avoiding the object of their affection at all costs. Maybe they could've escaped the havoc-

"I told you not to do that." Erin stated.

They squeezed their eyes shut, ready for what would happen next. The blonde didn't like it when people were mad at them.

"Holtzmann, look at me." She ordered.

They followed the command. Erin was furious.

"I'm sorry." They apologized, then reached for the dog, only to watch as it was tossed on the table. They shouldn't have done that.

"Holtzmann, for the last time, leave me alone."

"What have I done?" The younger physicist asked, mostly out of impulse.

They heard Abby muttering ' _Oh fuck_.' as Erin's expression changed. _Stop it, stupid. She has her reasons. Shut your mouth._

"Leave."

"But I-"

Then, Erin began to yell at them. Holtzmann's brain shut down. She couldn't hear anything, only see the furious woman in front of her. The girl was so terrified of loud noises, especially of shouting, that her brain turned off. It felt horrible. She just wanted it to stop.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, thinking that it would make Erin stop. "I'm sorry."

She remembered the day on the tennis field, the wounds she had after that. They yelled at her, too. They accused her, too. She wasn't quite sure of what, but it hurt. Her body laid on the grass, half numb and wounded, half in excruciating pain.

"I'm sorry." Holtzmann continued, a single tear sliding down her cheek as she stared at nothing. "I'm sorry."

Erin stopped, glancing at her. Holtzmann remembered everything quite clear, the way her ribs broke under their feet, the way it hurt. She took a deep breath. The pain came back. _Make it stop._

"Please, don't." She muttered.

A kick to the back of her head left her numb on the freshly mown grass.

"I'm sorry."

She felt warmth. It surrounded her. The pain began to fade, Abby's voice echoing in her head.

"What the fuck, Erin?" The woman asked in a calm, collected tone. "I told you once, you can't yell at Holtzmann."

"They're shivering." Patty said. The warmth took over.

"Erin, Holtzmann has PTSD. Yelling is a trigger. That's why we speak in a calm tone around them."

"I didn't- I didn't know."

"Well, if your head wasn't so far up your ass, maybe you would've heard."

"It's not her fault." Holtzmann muttered. "I shouldn't have given her the dog. I'm sorry."

"No, Holtz-"

"Holtz, how about you go home and relax?" Abby asked, patting them.

"I can't drive." They responded, slowly acknowledging that Patty was the one who was hugging them. "I'm in no condition."

"Patty, do you have your car?"

"No, Abby, I do not have my car."

"How about Kevin?"

"I sure as fuck do not trust Kevin in this situation."

"How about a taxi?"

"I don't have any money."

"Me neither."

"I do." Erin suddenly stated. "I can... I can pay."

"Erin, kindly, fuck off." Abby said in the same calm, friendly tone.

They spoke as if a sleeping baby was in the room. Holtzmann found quite it funny, a bit relaxing.

"We can call their parents."

"Their parents are out of town."

"Please, let me pay for her."

"Please, don't do that." They said. "Don't waste your money on me."

"Holtzmann." Abby almost sobbed. "Let us help you."

"I'm fine."

"You just had an episode, dude. That's not fine."

They took a step back, away from Patty's tight embrace. They needed air. _It's fine_. They thought, sitting in a chair. _I'm fine_.

"Holtzmann, please, let me help." Erin begged. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." They suddenly jumped up from the chair, then placed their hands on Erin's shoulders. "Don't. You haven't done anything wrong. You didn't know."

"I should've known."

Holtzmann felt weak. As much as they wanted to argue, they couldn't. The nagging pain in their chest was stopping them from standing too much, from staring in Erin's eyes. Still, they couldn't sit down, either.

"Let her help you." Patty finally agreed with Erin. "I'll call a cab."

* * *

The trip was short. Erin let them lean on her shoulder during the ride, while she was tracing patterns on their knee with her index finger. The brunette apologized for yelling much more than Holtzmann expected. They even started to feel uncomfortable. The house was silent when they walked in. Mom and dad were gone for a few days. They felt lonely.

"Alright, then." Erin chuckled awkwardly, stepping backwards to the door. "Stay safe."

"I thought you were gonna stay."

Holtzmann blamed themselves for sounding disappointed. They weren't disappointed, not in Erin. They were just a tiny, tiny bit sad that she had to leave.

"I can stay if you want me to." The woman said, approaching them.

"I mean, if you're busy-"

"No, it's fine."

Holtzmann grinned to themselves, opening their backpack. They could discuss physics or astronomy or whatever Erin liked.

The dog stared back. Holtzmann didn't expect to see it.

"Is everything alright?" The brunette asked concerned.

They took the dog, then looked at Erin, unsure of what they were supposed to do. She didn't want it.

"I'll be right back. Just gonna put this in my room." They stated, turning around.

"I thought it was a gift?"

"But you don't want it. I'm not gonna push something you don't like in your face."

"Who said I didn't like it?"

Holtzmann's jaw dropped. Their heart began to beat like crazy in their chest. Erin took the toy carefully out of their hand, then hugged them tight.

"Thanks you, Holtz." She whispered.

Erin was hugging them. It was incredible. The girl smelt of burnt metal and markers, but they couldn't say they didn't love it.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't- I can't deal well with emotions. And I feel a bunch of things, strong things for you." Erin confessed, blushing. "I mean, it's probably stupid-"

"It isn't."

 _Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck._ Holtzmann couldn't believe it. Erin liked them! The world felt ten times better than before. It felt as if good things began to happen to them again. It was truly incredible.

"I'm sorry." The brunette apologized once more.

"Erin, it's fine." They smirked, slowly taking her hand.

The older woman stared at them with a wide smile, then leaned forward to kiss their cheek. It felt amazing. Erin was amazing. Holtzmann wished they could've stayed like that for a whole eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TF I UPLOADED ALMOST AT THE RIGHT TIME?! WHAT KIND OF FUCKED UP WITCHCRAFT IS THIS?! I'm bored on vacation that's what's happening.
> 
> Anyways hi hello, reader. What do you think of my fic? Do you love it? Do you hate it? There's a comment section, leave a small note for me bellow. ;) 
> 
> I love Holtzmann. From the depth of my unbeating heart. I truly do. Please believe me. 
> 
> As always, suggestions accepted and sorry for my sloppy writing. What do you mean editing? Ain't nobody got time for that! AND IF I DESCRIBED PTSD WRONG PLEASE TELL ME I'LL DELETE THE PART THINK OF SOMETHING NEW IDK OFFENDING PEOPLE IS NEVER MY INTENTION!
> 
> Hope you have a nice day! Bye bye! Thank you for spending time on this!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is bonding with Regina. They spend quality time together. Part 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swanqueen centered

Emma liked pushing her body to the edge. Exercising made her feel good, as if she was doing something important. It kept her healthy and to be fair, it made her look hotter. Emma loved it when girls were eyeing her. She was one of the popular jocks, along with Danny, the captain of the volleyball team and a few other girls. Boys didn't concern her at all, as long as they didn't play for her team. Overall, Emma was proud of her way of life after escaping the orphanage. The jock ran from the apartment to her school, which was roughly 3 miles. To be entirely honest, the blonde was pretty sure she smelled horrible. 

 

"Oh God." A familiar voice echoed through the halls, close behind her. "Have you ever seen a shower, you brute?" 

 

Carmilla. Well, of course. Who else would insult her first thing in the morning? 

 

"What do you want, hairy?" 

 

"Oh my fucking G-" 

 

"I'm pretty dang sure we collected half a bucket of your black, 'luscious' locks out of the shower after you left."

 

"I'm sorry, okay?! Jeez..."

 

She liked to annoy Carmilla whenever she had the chance. It was like pulling the tail of an overgrown, grungy cat. 

 

"I need a place to crash. Laura's mad at me."

 

"For making a new carpet out of your hair?" 

 

"You're insufferable." The brunette rolled her eyes, turning around. "Just... Forget I ever asked."

 

"No, wait." Emma caught up with her. "Really, though, what happened?" 

 

"None of your business." Carmilla snarled, pacing faster. 

 

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. We're gonna let you stay, obviously. I just need to check in with Mary Margaret."

 

The shorter girl stopped. Emma could see her eyes, even if dark bangs covered them. The jock could tell she was grateful... Kinda. 

 

"Thanks." She muttered, then hurried away. 

 

_Emma_

_Carmilla's gonna crash at home tonight. Fight with Laura._

 

_Mom_

_Tell her to bring her own bathroom._

 

Emma chuckled at the message. Carmilla wasn't a frequent guest in their house, despite of what most people thought. The girl was a lot of things everyone overlooked and a few they were right about. She was nice to the people who respected her or to the people she thought she owed something she couldn't pay back. In fact, the older brunette was, in no way, hostile as long as she was treated right. That would surprise a lot of students and teachers in their school. Out of all humans on this earth, though, Laura was her top priority. Emma could understand that. If she ever found a person she loved and worshiped as much as Carmilla did with Laura, she wouldn't let her go, either. 

 

_Swan McFuck_

_Hey fuckface! Why'd you show up at 7, anyways?_

 

_Fuckstein_

_I'll tell Mary Margaret you're swearing, fuckass._

 

_Swan McFuck_

_I'll tell Laura you told on me._

 

That was the best way to end an argument with Carmilla. 'I'll tell Laura...'

 

Emma changed fast into another pair of clothes after cleaning herself up in the communal showers next to the school's swimming pool. She felt good about herself, at least temporarily. After school, she'd need to exercise again. Working out was a must if she wanted to stay team captain. 

 

Her friends showed up much later. Ruby tried to mock her for sitting with 'The Evil Queen', as they liked to call Regina. They were wrong, though. Regina was better than them. Maybe the brunette was a bit... arrogant at times, but usually, she was really chill. The blonde paced to her History class, phone in hand. She sat closer to the windows, in the last raw. 

 

"Hey, Emma." Killian greeted with a smug smirk, sitting next to her. 

 

 _Kill me already._ The blonde thought, rolling her eyes. That guy couldn't take a hint, even if it was placed on a plate, right in front of his crooked nose and written in neon red. 

 

"Hey." The girl muttered, taking a pen out of her backpack. 

 

"So... Wanna go out?" 

 

"Still a lesbian."

 

"Come on!" He exclaimed in frustration. "Am I not good enough for you to give up on girls?" 

 

"You could be Johnny fucking Depp, which you obviously aren't, and you still wouldn't be good enough for me to give up on girls."

 

"Well... I'm a lesbian on the inside."

 

"Say that again and I'll punch you in the face."

 

"Why are dykes so aggressive? Shit, I've been nice enough to you, haven't I?" 

 

That was the last straw. Emma excused herself and stormed out of the classroom. Killian was insufferable. The jock swore to herself she'd punch his teeth out as soon as she'd get the chance. 

 

_Swan McFuck_

_How do you deal with idiots who don't acknowledge your lesbianism?_

 

_Fuckstein_

_Snap a few necks._

 

Sometimes, the grungy cat had the best advices. She would definitely snap Killian's neck. He deserved it. The blonde paced around the halls, preparing to face the idiot once again. Oh, how much, she'd love to kick him in the-

 

"Miss Swan!" A familiar voice sounded behind her. 

 

 _Shit. Cordelia._  

 

"Yes?" The girl turned around and gave her a wide smile. 

 

"Why aren't you in class?" 

 

"I had to go to the bathroom, but now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head back to the lesson." The jock said, rushing away. 

 

Cordelia wasn't harsh with students, but still, she was a teacher. So what if Misty, her good friend and the other blonde were practically eye-fucking every moment they saw each other or that her mom and the other teacher were drinking tea together almost every working day? Emma considered Miss ( _formerly_ ) Foxx a stranger. Emma walked in the room and sat in the corner, as far away from Killian as possible. The jock was bored. 

 

_Emma_

_Tell your gf I was allowed to go to the bathroom. She seems suspicious and I don't wanna get in trouble._

 

The girl knew she didn't need to send that text. She had nobody to talk to and was in need of entertainment, though. 

 

_Swampy_

_Tell who what now?_

 

Misty replied to Emma's messages almost always. It was truly incredible. No matter what class she was in, Misty had her phone at hand. 

 

_Emma_

_Cordelia._

 

_Swampy_

_WHAT?!_

 

_Here comes the denial._

 

_Swampy_

_Miss Goode is NOT my girlfriend, Emma. She is a TEACHER._

 

Oh, this was great. Emma adored Misty's moments of denial. They were rather entertaining. 

 

_Swampy_

_And I am a STUDENT. And there is NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING between us._

 

_Emma_

_Sure._

 

_Swampy_

_I am DEAD serious._

 

When Misty was nervous, she was typing in caps lock. If they had been face to face, the taller blonde would've yelled those words in Emma's face. 

 

_Emma_

_I know._

 

_Swampy_

_I've got biology next and I don't have my homework. Ttyl._

 

_Emma_

_But hon, you only need your body in Biology..._

 

_Swampy_

_TALK TO YOU LATER, EMMA._

 

After a few moments of pondering upon the conversation, the jock's fingers ran fast on the surface of the phone. 

 

_Emma_

_You seem to forget we have Biology together, Miss Day._

 

The phone didn't buzz for the most of the lesson. Misty didn't know how to reply. Emma had won, that until... 

 

_Gina_

_Stop harassing Misty._

 

_Swan_

_Your wish is my command._

 

If Regina told her to stop, then Emma would stop, even if that meant defeat in the face of the enemy. Despite of everyone thinking that the Luthor was the rational one at their table, Emma knew that actually, Regina was much more qualified for this role. 

 

_Swan_

_How are you, my Queen?_

 

_Gina_

_Stop calling me that._

 

_Swan_

_Alright._

 

Speaking of Luthor... 

 

_Swan_

_Don't you have first period with Lena?_

 

_Gina_

_Yes, why?_

 

_Swan_

_Is she in school?_

 

_Gina_

_I don't know._

 

How could she not know?! They were supposed to be in the same goddamn room! 

 

_Swan_

_What do you mean?_

 

_Gina_

_Her bag is here. She's missing, though. Maybe she's with Kara._

 

_Swan_

_Why would she be with Kara?_

 

_Gina_

_Think about it, Swan._

 

 _Oh. Ooh!_ Hopefully, Kara had more luck with Lena than she had with Regina. Emma wouldn't mind being friendzoned if she knew she had no chance. The jock was willing to try, though, as long as the brunette tried to hide her face whenever she was complimented by Emma. 

 

The bell rang. Emma sprinted out of the classroom as soon as she packed her bags, then headed to the Biology room, leaving her team behind.

 

"Morning, Miss!" The girl greeted, then threw her bag on the desk next to Regina's. 

 

"Good morning, Emma." Cordelia gazed at the girl for a while, then turned her attention back to her book. 

 

Emma took out a copybook and two pens, then put them on the table. Since she had Regina's silent approval to sit next to her, the blonde began to bring two pens and two pencils to school, just in case. Emma liked Regina. A lot. It was scary, sometimes. The jock didn't have a reason to be scared and yet, there she was, having a little heart attack whenever the brunette was looking at her. What if she fucked it up?

 

_Swan_

_What if she doesn't like me?_

 

_Graham_

_Calm down._

 

_Neal_

_She likes you. At least as a friend._

 

Graham and Neal were her best friends. She knew Neal since her early childhood. They lost their hope in the same orphanage. Graham was her father's assistant and the prom king of 2012. They knew each other well, almost too well. 

 

_Graham_

_I can't understand why you're so scared. She's just a girl like any other._

 

_Swan_

_How dare you talk shit about a Goddess!_

 

_Graham_

_And here it comes. Build her an altar already!_

 

_Neal_

_I heard Ikea had some nice new furniture. You can find it under "I stan the mayor's daughter" category._

 

_Swan_

_Quit it._

 

_Graham_

_I have to go. See y'a, stalker._

 

_Neal_

_I gotta go, too. Take care of yourself, Swan._

 

_Swan_

_Will do._

 

The truth was that Emma's feelings overwhelmed her at times. Regina felt different than the other girls. Was it the same for Grungy Cat and Laura? If so, Emma could understand why the older girl was so attached to her girlfriend. 

 

"Morning, Miss Swan." The husky voice distracted her. The feeling stirred her insides. It made her sick. "Swan?" 

 

"Hey!" The jock exclaimed, looking at her. 

 

"Are you alright?" Regina's concerned expression made her melt to the core. 

 

"Yeah, yeah! I just... You know... Tired." The girl muttered, leaning on her desk, eyes on the brunette. 

 

"Maybe you should stop pushing yourself over the edge, Miss Swan." Well, that statement was a surprise. Why would Regina care about Emma's exercising routine? 

 

"Call me Emma. Please."

 

"Why?" 

 

_I wanna see what my name sounds like when you say it._

 

"Why not?" 

 

Regina raised an eyebrow, turning her gaze to her homework as she mouthed "Alright."

 

"Hey, Gina." The blonde whispered shortly after, evidently disturbing the other girl. 

 

"Mis- Emma." The brunette sighed, trying to ignore the jock. Her name sounded like the fog in a dark forest with giant, evergreen trees, tall grass and pale flowers, if that ambiance had a sound. She liked it. 

 

"Say it again." The girl blurted out, immediately regretting it. "I- I mean..." She giggled, turning around. That was the most embarrassing moment of her life. She didn't like it at all. How could that happen?! 

 

"Emma." Regina muttered after a few moments of hesitation. 

 

It didn't just take her by surprise. It astonished her. The blonde allowed herself to close her eyes for a second, take a deep breath in and imagine the scene in different circumstances. She was fond of Regina. 

 

"What did you want to tell me?" The brunette asked quietly, so that Cordelia wouldn't hear her. Emma didn't even notice the students sitting at their desks or the bell ringing. How long ago did the lesson start? 

 

"Do you wanna go for ice cream?" 

 

 _Really, Swan? That's the best you can do? Ask her out for ice cream? Pull yourself together, you loser._ Emma's panic reached colossal levels as soon as she noticed Regina's eyebrows, raised in surprise. 

 

"I mean- I- As friends, you know? Buddies!" the jock giggled as quietly as she could, earning a glare and an annoyed 'Miss Swan.' from Cordelia.

 

"Alright."

 

_**WHAT?!** ALRIGHT?! _

 

_Swan_

_SHE SAID YES OH MY GOD OH MY FUCKING GOD GUYS SHE SAID YES!_

 

_Neal_

_Congrats, Swan._

 

_Graham_

_When will we be meeting your girlfriend?_

 

_Swan_

_What do you mean? I'm buying her ice cream._

 

_Neal_

_Oh._

 

_Graham_

_Swan, the fuck?_

 

"Miss Swan, put your phone down." Cordelia demanded, looking at her. 

 

"Sorry." The jock muttered, putting the phone in her backpack. 

 

 _She said yes!_ Emma exclaimed in her head, a wide smile on her face. They were going out! So what if it was as friends? She said yes! The jock felt a playful nudge from behind, only to turn around and see Ruby's playful smirk. 

 

"Hot date with the Evil Queen?" the girl asked a little too loud. 

 

Emma noticed the way Regina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing down. She heard it. The jock felt as if it was her duty to defend the brunette's honor. 

 

"Quit it." She snarled under her breath, glaring at Ruby. 

 

"I thought we were a team, Swan."

 

"We are."

 

"Then?"

 

"Girls!" Cordelia exclaimed once again, making Emma turn around, brows knotted. 

 

Ruby didn't get to call Regina like that. Nobody did. Not anymore.

* * *

Biology and Chemistry passed faster than usual. Emma found herself sitting at the same table with Regina, Holtzmann, Misty and Kara, the whole softball team glaring at her. She chose to ignore them for the moment. The table seemed quiet, maybe too quiet. 

 

"So, Danvers, how're things with Lena?" Emma asked, smirking. She had to pretend she was in a good mood for girl's sake. 

 

"She's ignoring me." Kara gave her a short answer, then continued playing with her food, glasses sliding off her nose. 

 

"It'll be fine." The only brunette at their table gave her a reassuring smile and a pat on the back. 

 

"Any plans for today?" Holtzmann suddenly asked, obviously nervous. 

 

"Stay at home with my sister and her fiancée. Eat potstickers and pizza." Kara answered, a hint of sadness in her voice. 

 

"I'm helping Miss Cordelia with a project." Misty stated.

 

"We're going to get ice-cream after school." Emma said with a wide smile, taking Regina's hand. 

 

The brunette straightened her back at Emma's action, staring wide eyed at the blonde. She wasn't offended or anything, at least from what the jock could read. It was... Unexpected. That's it. She was surprised. 

 

"As in a date?" Holtzmann asked. 

 

"Nope. As in buddies. And you, crazy scientist? What are you doing after school?" 

 

"I actually have a date." The young physicist replied with a ridiculous expression on their face. 

 

"Oh my God." Misty gasped, covering her mouth. "Is it..."

 

The shorter blonde nodded, making Misty squeal and jump up and down, shouting "Finally!" 

 

* * *

 

The weather felt cold when she walked out of the apartment. Too cold for September, at least. It smelled like rain. 

 

"Where do you think you're going?" Emma suddenly heard Mary Margaret's voice.

 

The woman was leaning on the doorframe, holding a pair of keys and Emma's wallet. 

 

"Shit." The girl muttered, taking the objects from her mother's hands. 

 

"Language."

 

"Sorry."

 

"Ooh!" Suddenly, Carmilla joined the discussion, stepping behind the older woman. "Someone's got a date."

 

"It's not a date, hairy." The blonde rolled her eyes. "We're going out for ice cream." 

 

"In this weather? Buy the girl a cup of tea!" Mary Margaret suggested. 

 

"Who're you going with, anyway?" Carmilla asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched Mary Margaret straighten Emma's red jacket. 

 

"Regina —Mom, it's leather, it doesn't need to be straightened— Mills." The jock stated, watching as both her mother and their guest looked at her in surprise. 

 

The shorter woman's face suddenly shifted to that specific expression. Her head was slightly tilted to the left, eyes narrowed as she was watching her daughter. 

 

"Uh oh," Carmilla smirked, looking at Mary Margaret.

 

That was her 'I smell the Gay' face. Emma knew it all too well. Her mother was a living gaydar at times and the jock couldn't say she liked it. 

 

"You've been hanging out a lot with her lately." The woman concluded. 

 

"We're friends. Now, mom, I gotta go."

 

"Sure. Can't keep the lady waiting." Mary Margaret muttered with the same expression on her face. 

 

* * *

 

She was sitting on a bench, legs crossed, pencil skirt tight on her hips. Her hands were crossed over her chest, a dark blue jacket, made of some fancy material thrown on her shoulders. Emma loved the image in front of her. _Fuck, she's gorgeous._  

 

"Hey." The jock smiled, staring down at Regina. 

 

"Hi." The brunette greeted with a shy smile, standing up. 

 

"Wanna go inside?" 

 

"Yes."

 

They walked in the closest diner and sat at the only available table that was further away from the door. Regina was shivering, so Emma considered it her mission to put her leather jacket over the brunette's shoulders. 

 

"Thank you Emma, but I have a jacket."

 

"It's too thin." The blonde shrugged, then sat at the other side of the table, a wide grin on her face. "You look nice in red."

 

Regina tried to hide her face, as always, muttering an almost inaudible 'Thank you.'

 

"What do you wanna eat?" The jock asked. "I'm taking a cinnamon hot chocolate and apple pie."

 

"Mint tea."

 

"Nothing to eat?" 

 

"I'm not hungry."

 

Emma shrugged, telling herself that she can share the pie. The waitress approached them after some minutes and took their orders. As soon as she was gone, the jock leaned in her chair, legs crossed in a vulgar, manly manner, occupying more space than necessary. She glanced discreetly at Regina, smiling as she saw the brunette properly putting on the red jacket, her own coat placed carefully on the chair next to her. 

 

"This is the first time we went out on our own. As friends." The jock stated. 

 

"Indeed." The brunette agreed, glancing at her heels.

 

"You ok there, Gina?" 

 

"What?" Her head shot up, eyebrows raised. "I... Yes. I'm fine."

 

"Liar. What happened?" 

 

"Nothing." 

 

"Gina."

 

"It's nothing, really." She continued denying. 

 

"If it bothers you, then it's not nothing. Tell me. If anybody hurt you, I'll beat the shit out of them. Just tell me who did it."

 

Regina sketched a tiny smile, glancing at Emma's face. 

 

"Why do you call me the Evil Queen?" She suddenly asked, brows furrowed. 

 

"I personally don't call you that."

 

"Not anymore."

 

"Then?" 

 

"Your teammates do."

 

"Don't pay attention. They're a bunch of teens, after all." Emma gave her a sheepish grin. "I'm practically their dad, so I know."

 

"Daddy." Regina scoffed, making Emma straighten in her chair and blush a deep shade of red. 

 

Regina noticed it. _Fuck_. The brunette's face turned serious almost immediately, mouth slightly open, a hint of interest lingering in her eyes. Before anything else could happen, the waitress arrived with their food. _Oh, thank God almighty!_ Emma sighed in relief. Food really saves lives, after all. They ate in silence. After devouring half of the pie like an animal, Emma glanced up. Regina was obviously hungry and cold. Her eyes were focused on the jock's food, hands in pockets, her thin silk scarf covering her nose. Emma slid carefully into the chair next to her, then put the plate in front of the brunette. 

 

"Emma, I can't—" 

 

"I ate half a bag of oreos with Carmilla at home. I'm full."

 

"Thank you." Regina smiled. 

 

She took careful bites. The brunette looked like a doll. Emma wasn't quite sure what she felt: astonishment or something else, something she shouldn't feel at all. Suddenly, the lights went out, making both girls jump in their seats. Listening closely, the jock noticed that it was raining, too. _Fucking shit._ She swore, thinking of a way to get Regina and herself home. Her father was probably too busy to pick her up and Mary Margaret's car was pretty useless, since it broke down two days ago. Her own car had been borrowed by Neal, who had to deliver some computer parts to a friend of his in another state. Emma felt two hands on her forearm, sliding down slowly. 

 

"I don't like darkness." Regina tried to explain. 

 

"Understandable." The blonde shrugged, taking her hand, then intertwining their fingers. "My house is, like, two miles away."

 

"And what are you proposing, Emma?" 

 

"Well-" 

 

The phone interrupted her from saying the dumbest stuff she could think of. _Mom._

 

"Hey." Emma answered the call. 

 

_"Hey! There's no light in the whole town. When are you gonna come home?"_

 

"As soon as I figure a way to get Gina home, too." 

 

"Emma, please—" Regina tried to decline the help she was offered, only to be interrupted by a hand on her face. "Nice way to tell me to shut up." She muttered. 

 

_"Well, she can stay with us. I'll call your dad and tell him to take you home."_

 

"Thanks, mom! You're the best!" 

 

_"I know."_

* * *

They were practically thrown out in the rain by the personnel after Emma paid. Regina, wrapped in her thin coat, began to shiver a while ago. Emma couldn't offer her jacket anymore, since she'd be freezing and of no help if she did. There was only one option. The blonde unzipped her jacket and pulled Regina towards her, making the girl stumble forward until her own body was as close as possible to Emma's. 

 

"What the..." The brunette began, but soon stopped, feeling the warmth spread through her body as Emma hugged her. 

 

Emma could feel the brunette's breath on her cheek. It made the blonde's knees weak, especially when Regina hugged her back. 

 

"I can feel your heart beat, Swan." The brunette whispered. Emma could feel the heat raise in her cheeks again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my children. I hand you this fluff in hopes of being friends. I don't want any of you to be mad at me later. Expect a disaster. Not soon tho. Relax. Anyways, what did you think of it? Liked it? Hated it? Tell me about it. ',:) 
> 
> I'll write part 2 as soon as I can. I promise. 
> 
> Leave comments and kudos. I'll cherish them forever.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Regina are REALLY bonding. As friends. 
> 
> Carmilla has big plans for the future.
> 
> Mention of drug use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swanqueen centered
> 
> Hollstein mention

"What?" Emma muttered, looking down. "What do you mean?" 

 

Regina scoffed, pacing away towards the sheriff's car. The jock sighed, trying to calm down. She walked close behind the brunette, trying to shield her from the rain with her own body. Needless to say, it didn't work. 

 

"After you." Emma said, opening the car door. 

 

Regina gave her a mischievous smirk as she sat behind the driver's seat, followed by the blonde. 

 

"Evening, girls!" David greeted them, driving off to their tiny apartment. 

 

"Good evening, Mr. Nolan."

 

"Hey." Emma mumbled under her breath.

 

"How was your date? How's my daughter treating you?" 

 

"Oh my God." The jock bumped her head into the passenger seat, trying to hide her embarrassment desperately. "We weren't on a date, dad."

 

"Alright." He muttered with a smug grin. 

 

"I mean it."

 

"And I believe you!" 

 

He didn't and Emma knew it. 

 

"Mary Margaret ordered pizza. We'll be watching movies tonight. Regina, do you like horror movies?" 

 

"They're fine by me."

 

"Great! They freak Emma out. I guarantee she'll want to cuddle afterwards."

 

"Dad!"

 

"Sorry, sorry. Emma's too cool and hip to be scared and cuddle."

 

"Shoot me, Jesus..." 

 

The brunette chuckled under her breath, glancing at Emma. 'Cool and hip, huh?' She mouthed, a mocking smile on her lips. _Fuck_. 

 

"Carmilla loves horror movies. She finds them funny." David added. "I guess she's, you know, different."

 

"She finds gore funny as a concept." Emma muttered. "I bet Laura feeds her raw meat by demand."

 

David scoffed, trying hard to keep a barely serious face expression. 

 

"Now, Emma, that's no way to talk about your friend. She's a good kid."

 

"She's not a kid. By the amount of hair she sheds, she could be a muppet."

 

That was the breaking point. David's laughter filled the car. The blonde was more than sure he'd begin to cry. Fortunately for her father's dignity, he was able to calm down before such event could occur. 

 

"Oh, Jesus." He wheezed, parking in front of the block of flats. 

 

"It wasn't even that funny." Emma whispered to Regina as they were climbing out of the car. "He must've had a really good day at work."

 

The brunette followed Emma and her father silently to the door. The jock could sense how nervous Regina felt. After all, walking into a new house, full of people you don't really know for the first time wasn't the most pleasant experience one could think of. She had to do something. 

 

It was an impulse. The blonde took Regina's hand in her own, giving the girl a reassuring smile. _I'll regret it later._ Emma thought to herself, watching as no one other than Carmilla, the cryptid beast herself and little Neal opened the door for them. The older girl glanced at their joined hands, while the boy jumped in his father's arms, shouting joyfully 'Daddy home!' as he was embracing the man.

 

"Good evening, Mr. David, Emma. " The shorter brunette welcomed them respectfully, stepping away from the door to let them in. "Emma's girl-" 

 

"Don't." The blonde hissed, pacing past Carmilla. 

 

"Girlfr-" 

 

"I'll tell Laura you're harassing me!" Emma shouted, pulling Regina to the second floor, where her bed was. 

 

No response. _Always works_. The blonde smirked to herself as she was searching for a pair of pants and a T-shirt to give Regina. Or maybe a hoodie. Or a sweater. She had to make sure Regina wouldn't freeze. The apartment was relatively warm, so a T-shirt would do. They were about the same height. Her clothes were supposed to fit the brunette, at least in theory. In the end, the girl picked a Harley Quinn T-shirt and a pair of black jeans she last wore in August. 

 

"Here." She gave Regina the clothes. "You can change here or in the bathroom."

 

"Swan, you shouldn't-" 

 

"It's okay. You'll get sick if you stay in wet clothes for too long."

 

"I wanted to say you shouldn't worry about me. You seem to forget you've stood in the rain, too."

 

 _Oh, yeah._ The blonde stared down at herself. Water was dripping from her hair and clothes, forming small puddles on the floor. 

 

"I should probably take a shower." Emma muttered to herself. "Go to the bathroom first. Ask Mary Margaret to give you a towel."

 

"Emma." 

 

"It's fine."

 

Regina chuckled as she walked to the stairs, watching the blonde as she was wreaking havoc in her drawers.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma was excited to have a guest over, especially now, that it was Regina. She was pretty. No, she was beautiful. The way her eyebrows raised and her back arched at the scariest moments was entrancing, even with Carmilla's chuckles and comments in the background. The blonde knew she could look at Regina for the rest of her life. There was something about her... It felt different. She felt special.

 

"You're staring and it's creepy." The living version of a gothic novel spoke up, loud enough for Emma to hear. "Tell her you like her. You've got nothing to lose."

 

"Is that how you seduced Laura?" Emma asked mockingly, facing the shorter brunette. 

 

"If you don't want me to help you, fine." Carmilla shrugged, a bitter expression on her face. 

 

The girl tossed her phone aside, looking at the TV with no interest. She seemed hurt. It wasn't usual for her to show emotion like that. Carmilla's face expressions were usually a fun mix of disgust and repulsion or mild amusement, in the more disturbing cases. Only one thing, person, better said, could've caused such an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event to take place.

 

"It's Laura." The blonde tried to guess. 

 

"She's not answering her phone and she's not replying to my messages." Carmilla blurted out. 

 

"You really fucked up this time, huh?" 

 

"I didn't! She just... She doesn't know."

 

"Know what?" 

 

"Shh!" Mary Margaret tried to silence them as she was glaring at the main antagonist, a slice of pizza forgotten in her hand. 

 

"Explain." Emma whispered. 

 

Carmilla sighed, then gestured to the second floor. They both stood up as quietly as possible and headed upstairs. _What's so important she can't say it in front of the rest?_ Emma asked herself, waiting for the brunette, who was pacing nervously from a corner to another to begin talking. 

 

"I... I spent some money on something. It was most of the money people gave me. We planned on putting it aside, but I just... I can't wait." The brunette sketched a smile. "I love her more than anything else, you know? She's the reason I'm alive, Emma. I want to be better for her." 

 

"Alright, romantic comedy cliché. And?" 

 

"As I said, we decided to put the money aside, but I spent it. Laura found out."

 

"And she got angry."

 

"Basically. Yeah."

 

_I'd be angry, too if my girlfriend spent half a fortune on God knows what._

 

"What did you spend it on?" 

 

Carmilla looked at her, fear and excitement lingering in her eyes. 

 

"I'm not sure she wants it." The girl gave her a shy smile. "I mean, if she doesn't, it's fine. It's understandable." 

 

"Carmilla, what did you spend it on?" 

 

Was it what she thought it was? There was no way Carmilla, the unsociable, sun repulsed, anthropophobic spawn of the night would do that. 

 

"I just want you to know that I'm telling you this because Mattie isn't here and mother won't let me speak to Will, so don't think you're the first person I'd tell that if I had other options." 

 

"How could I think of such foul things?" Emma gasped. 

 

Carmilla - the only vampiric creature who came with terms and conditions. 

 

"Alright." The brunette took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, preparing for whatever she was planning on doing. 

 

The girl took a small, red box out of her black leather bag and hesitatingly opened it. Emma's jaw dropped. A slim, silver ring, which the blonde could only describe as delicate, was placed carefully in the middle. It had the most refined details and an intricate, yet pleasant design. The jock could only stare in awe at the small piece of jewelry. 

 

"Is it that bad?" Carmilla asked with panic in her voice. "I'm not sure I can change it, but if it's that bad-" 

 

"Oh my God!" Emma suddenly squealed. "I fucking knew it! You're gonna propose!" The girl exclaimed.

 

The brunette sighed, glaring playfully at Emma. 

 

"You gave me a heart attack, Swan."

 

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Emma tried to say something, only to squeal again and pull Carmilla into a tight, 2 seconds long hug. 

 

"Calm down." The brunette hissed, putting the box aside. "I'm supposed to be the nervous wreck this time."

 

"Alright, alright." The blonde chuckled. "How're you gonna do it? Does anybody else know?" 

 

"I'm not sure yet. Only you and Laura's dad know."

 

"Are you kidding me?!" 

 

"No. He had to know why I was going to take such a big sum of money."

 

"What did he say?" 

 

"He had a small panic attack when I told him I wanted to propose. I thought he was going to say no."

 

"So you basically proposed to Laura's dad first? I mean, you proposed to propose to Laura."

 

Carmilla stared at Emma in confusion before dismissing her sentence with a wave of her hand and continuing the story. 

 

"After a good two hours of breathing into the bag, he finally said that it was my money and I had to decide whether it's a good idea to spend it like this or not. He also gave me his blessing and said he wished it would've happened later in Laura's life, but if I felt like the right moment is now, I should do it."

 

"Woah." Emma mumbled, stupefied. "That's so... Calm and collected of him."

 

"I know!" The brunette smirked. "The only thing in the way now is Laura being mad at me." She groaned, falling on Emma's bed. Carmilla was never quite as theatrical as then. The thoughts and emotions she was going through must've done things to the brunette. 

 

"Do you want me to talk to her?" 

 

"No!" The older girl exclaimed, eyes wide as she sat up. "Don't."

 

"Fine. How did she react, anyway?" 

 

"As usual. 'Go away, Carmilla.'" The older girl imitated Laura's voice. "'I don't want to see you ever-'" She suddenly stopped, looking up slowly, eyes losing hope. "She's never said it before."

 

"Never said what?" 

 

"That she doesn't want to see me anymore. Oh my God. What if we broke up?!" 

 

The cryptid muppet was in panic. Eyes watery, heavy breathing, the brunette took the phone in her shaky hands, typing as many 'Laura, I'm sorry. I love you.' per minute as she could, all of them remaining unanswered. 

 

"No, no, no." Carmilla repeated quietly, still typing. 

 

Emma couldn't watch the grungy cat's emotional breakdown. She had to do something. She had to do the most obvious and stupid thing to ever be done in such situations. The jock had to call Laura. For whatever reason, the older girl was on speed dial, along with Mary Margaret and David. Emma called her number, not really expecting an answer. Laura knew that Carmilla would be stay with them for the night, after all. Why would she pick up the phone? 

 

" _Hello?_ " The girl's sleepy voice startled Emma. 

 

"Laura! Hey! Sorry to wake you up." The blonde answered, noticing Carmilla's dumbfounded expression as she put it on speaker.

 

" _Emma, if this is about Carmilla-_ " 

 

"It's not! I mean, partially it is, but also, it's not." The jock sighed. "You alright?" 

 

" _I'm fine. Kinda tired, in rest, fine._ "

 

"Good. For the record, you guys didn't break up, right?" 

 

" _Oh my God-_ " 

 

"She's crying. Hysterically." Emma lied, watching as the brunette gave her one of the most 'What the fuck?!' looks she could think of. 

 

" _We didn't. Does she think we did?_ "

 

"There's a possibility."

 

" _Well, we didn't. Tell her that as soon as she gets the money back, we can go back to sleeping in the same bed again._ "

 

" _LAURA EILEEN HOLLIS!_ " a loud voice suddenly roared on the other end, almost deafening Emma. " _What the hell does that mean?!_ " 

 

Carmilla couldn't handle it anymore. She let her face land on Emma's pillow, embarrassed of the situation. 

 

" _Nothing, dad!_ " The girl shouted back.

 

"Look, Laura, do you trust me?" Emma asked, sitting by the limp, emotionless body next to her. 

 

" _I guess_." 

 

"I know what happened between you. She told me. Trust me when I say she had a good reason for it."

 

" _Great! Everybody knows why she wasted the money! Only I don't! It's not like I'm her girlfriend!_ " 

 

Sherman, Laura's father, cleared his throat at the last sentence, way too loud to make it seem believable. It was almost embarrassing how poor his acting was. 

 

" _She does have a point..._ " The man muttered. 

 

"You put me on speaker?!" Emma exclaimed in surprise. 

 

" _Oh, come on! I know you did the same! I know she's listening!_ " Laura shouted, her voice filled with anger. " _How do I know you didn't waste the money on..._ " The girl couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. A sob made its way to Carmilla's ears instead, making her stand up as fast as possible and grab the phone out of Emma's hands. 

 

"Laura, no! Shit. Cupcake, I'm clean!" The brunette exclaimed in response, a smile on her face. "It's fine! I swear to God, I'm clean. I've been clean since ninth form." 

 

 What did they mean? What did she insist so much she was 'clean'? It's not like Carmilla ever did drugs. She didn't seem to be high. 

 

" _I'm sorry, Carm._ " Laura whimpered, a heart-wrecking sob escaping her lungs. " _I love you-_ " 

 

"God, Laura, I love you, too. I love you more than you know."

 

" _But I can't just trust you on this one. I can't. You disappear in the middle of the night. You take our savings. What am I supposed to think, Carm?_ " 

 

It felt like she got punched in the stomach. It hurt. Emma could tell it hurt only by looking at her face. Everything about it hurt. 

 

"I'm sorry, Laura." The brunette apologized, voice breaking. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

 

* * *

 

 

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Emma whispered, staring in Regina's deep brown, chocolate eyes. 

 

"It's not like there's walls here." The girl answered, a sad smile on her face. "Is she going to be okay?" 

 

"Carmilla?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Probably. For Laura's sake, at least."

 

"I can't imagine what it must feel like." Regina whispered, turning to face the ceiling. 

 

 _Fuck. She's gorgeous_. The jock thought, staring at her in awe. Was sleeping in the same bed the best idea? Emma couldn't help but question it. Mary Margaret and David encouraged it, for whatever reason. Usually, they'd make any girl that came over sleep on the couch or alone in Emma's bed, while the blonde slept somewhere else. What were they scheming? 

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

"Loving someone the way they love each other."

 

"You idolize their romance, Gina. It _is_  beautiful, though..." 

 

"I suppose it's exhausting, too." 

 

"Why?" 

 

The brunette sighed, glancing at Emma, sending shivers down her spine. 

 

"They've been dating since ninth form. It's..." She frowned, concentrating. "It's almost four years of commitment and arguments and sometimes, even tears."

 

"It's also almost four years of devotion, good memories and unconditional love."

 

"That's so unlike of you to say." The brunette chuckled, turning her whole body to face Emma. "Have you ever loved anyone?" 

 

"Not loved. I had crushes on girls. I liked them. Never loved." The jock answered. "I love my family, my friends, but I've never loved a girlfriend. And you, miss Mills? Have you ever been in love?" 

 

The word felt strange on her lips. Love. 

 

"Once."

 

 _Oh_.

 

"I fell for a boy. His name was Daniel." Regina said, brows knotted. "My mother made him leave, though. He was poor, not suited for me. It hurt for a while, never really fading away, especially when he refused to talk to me ever again."

 

"Do you still love him?" 

 

"I don't think so. As I mentioned, we never spoke afterwards."

 

"Do you like anyone at the moment?" 

 

 _You really like fucking things up, don't you, Swan?_ The jock thought, wanting to bump her head into a wall and never open her mouth again. 

 

"I don't really know." Regina shrugged. 

 

"How about Robin?" She asked, hoping that the answer would be 'no'. 

 

"He's sweet."

 

"Of course he is." Emma muttered to herself, way too loud for Regina not to hear. She knew there was nothing to be jealous of, not yet, but she couldn't help it. 

 

"What?" 

 

"Nothing." The blonde sketched a small smile to hide the hurt in her eyes. "Good night, Gina."

 

Emma turned around, the fake smile slowly fading away. How could she be that stupid? Of course Regina would choose the guy over her. Nobody would want a broken thing over a new one. The idea that a girl like her could fall for somebody like Emma began to sound dumber and dumber by every passing second. Regina didn't deserve that. She didn't need to be a part of Emma's mess. _Let her go, Swan_. The voice in her head was right. She was a burden. Regina didn't need her. Nobody did. 

 

"Swan?" The brunette suddenly whispered, scooting closer to her. 

 

Emma chose not to answer. It was for the best if she pretended to be asleep. 

 

"Emma?" 

 

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remain still as Regina's arms wrapped around her waist, the girl's nose buried in the back of Emma's neck. _Oh dear God._ The jock's heart was pounding against her chest, threatening to make itself heard. 

 

"Good night." Regina finally whispered, tightening her embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Dreams? Aspirations? 
> 
> So idk if I did the right thing by doing *waves hands in the general direction of the chapter* this. Do you think Regina hugging Emma in the end was invading her privacy? Cuz I'm not really sure about that. I mean, Emma obviously wants it, but maybe Regina should've asked first? Tell me what's in your head. Anything you didn't like? Open to criticism and suggestions. If you want to read something, you can always tell me and I'll try to write it as well as I can. 
> 
> Btw keep in mind I'm writing and editing this at 2-3 AM, so it's not always going to be polished and well written and so on. Usually, it's the opposite. 
> 
> Next chapter will be fun. Foxxay week next week. Maybe Lena will finally come out of her den (or closet. Padum tsss. ) Who knows? 
> 
> Thank you all for reading. Take care of yourselves, you sinful children. See you next week.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misty and Cordelia find themselves in a very confusing situation after an incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxxay centered  
> Swanqueen mention

"Are we sure it's worth risking, though?" Belle asked quietly. "What if we lose?"

"Sweetheart, I won every match of beer pong I've ever played. Misty has some magical luck thing going on. She can't miss. And Robin is a pro. He's been to most camp parties. He knows the secrets and Easter Eggs of beer pong. Trust me, we're gonna make it." Emma assured the girl, rubbing her hands together as she was eyeing the red plastic cups filled with the disgusting grape soda.

They made _the_ deal. Every year, three junior students and three teachers had to follow the tradition. This year, Emma, Misty and Robin would play a PG-13 version of beer pong against Cordelia, Mary Margaret and Mr. Booth. If the students won, then the first week of October would be assignment-free. If the teachers won, they'd have to prepare projects in groups of four for each class for the duration of a whole month. They simply couldn't afford to lose. People of all ages, from freshmen to teachers and even principal Gold gathered around, all expecting to watch the battle of the century unravel in front of their eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen! People of all ages!" Kyle, Misty's best male friend exclaimed, standing in front of the gray cafeteria table. "Welcome to the greatest battle of this millennium!"

People cheered, clapping and whistling. They somehow made her even more nervous.

"Now, fellow spectators, I have the honor to present the brave warriors who have made it their mission to save our asses from assignments for a whole week! First, we have leader of the softball team, a champion in training and the only person who will ever beat Kirsch's record at grape soda chugging, because she's that damn competitive, Emma Swan!"

Cheers. Emma held a fist in the air, a wide grin on her face, making the crowd go wild.

"And next, we have the only living human who beat principal Gold at competitive grape eating, the mortal whom the God of luck himself has blessed and the person who'll win this just because grape soda makes her sick and she doesn't want to drink it, Misty Day!"

Cheers. Everybody remembers the day she won a week of no chemistry assignments for the whole school. Since that day, Misty's stomach turned and twisted at the very mention of grapes. She was NOT going to drink a whole cup of that disastrous beverage, that was for sure.

"And last, but not least, our school's very own state champion at archery, the one and the only, the legendary Robin Hood!"

The crowd went nuts when they heard his nickname. Everyone loved him, a sweet, good guy whom the girls liked and the teachers respected.

"On the offensive, we have the Beast, ladies and gentlemen! We have the infamous winner, the eternal champion, the best physics teacher this school has ever seen, Mary Margaret Blanchard!"

People cheered for her, since she was a student favorite. They called her 'Mary the Beast' around game season. That woman was invincible.

"Next, we don't really know a lot about her, but beware. This woman has graduated university exactly two years ago, so who knows what tricks she might have up her sleeve.... Let's introduce our newest and yet best biology teacher to this beautiful tradition with a round of applause. Cheers for Cordelia Goode!"

The students cheered, driven by Kyle's speech more than by how Cordelia presented herself. He was right, though. Nobody really knew what she was capable of.

"And last on the offensive, we have our personal author, a very generous teacher and a cool dude in general, August Booth!"

The girls went crazy. Hell, they loved him. Young, attractive, a teacher and an author. What was not to love?

"Now, dear audience, as you know, right before the challenge, we ask our competitors to choose a number between 0 and 4. Miraculously, the matches have been made from the first attempt. Against Mary Margaret, who chose number one, because, quote 'I am number one' plays... Emma Swan!"

Gasps, cheers, poker faces. The crowd was quite obviously stupefied. Never, in this life or the previous they would have thought that such an event could occur. Two of the most competitive people in the history of the school were about to face each other. Both were a force to be reckoned with.

"The next pair are probably going to apologize to each other while scoring." Kyle joked, getting a few laughs and giggles. "Cordelia Goode against Misty Day!"

 _Oh. Oh no._ Misty gazed at Kyle in distress, only to see him give her thumbs up, a wide, stupid grin on his face. He planned it beforehand.

"And the last pair, as you already know, are the heartbreakers of our school, August Booth and Robin Hood!"

 _Fuck_. How was she going to go against Cordelia?! How?! Before Misty could ask Kyle to switch her with somebody else, Mary Margaret and Emma approached the table, glaring at each other.

"Heads - Emma begins the game, tails - Mary Margaret."

"Heads. Heads. Heads." The crowd chanted, watching as the coin twirled in the air and landed on Kyle's hand. The boy looked a it and pursed his lips. That was a bad sign.

"Tails." He stated.

"FUCK!" A guy in the crowd yelled, only to be hit in the head with Mr. Gold's cane.

"Are you ready to lose, sweetheart?" The teacher smirked, taking a ping pong ball.

"Only when you'll buy me new headphones." Emma replied, watching as the ball flew right in a cup.

"God dammit." She groaned, then chugged the soda.

 _Disgusting_. Misty thought, almost gagging.

"Misty, I hope luck will be on your side." Regina muttered loud enough for the blonde to hear.

The jock threw the cup away, then glanced to the crowd, trying hard not to throw up everything she's consumed. Her eyes met the brunette's. _Oh_. Misty raised an eyebrow, watching as they exchanged smiles. There was something happening between her friends and the girl didn't exactly know what. In any case, it made Emma's spirit raise again. The jock threw the ping pong balls like they were the extension of her own hand, making them land exactly where she wanted them to. The score was tight, 9:8, until Mary Margaret missed, to everyone's surprise. She missed! Mary the Beast missed for the first time in history! Emma still had a chance to make it right. She threw the ball. It was midair and everyone already realized it would land on the table. People groaned, cursing their fate. Suddenly, a small bounce made it jump right into the cup, making the crowd scream. Emma's face was priceless. With a wide, sheepish grin, the jock started jumping around, yelling her lungs out in excitement. _Swan! Swan! Swan!_ The crowd chanted. They still had a chance. People hugged the newest champion, congratulating her on the victory. Only one person interested her, though. Emma settled next to Regina, one arm around her shoulders.

"Good luck, Swampy." The jock mouthed. "Wait! One last thing..." She stopped the girl from heading to the table. "Lean forward. Don't ask why. Before Cordelia throws the ball, lean forward."

"Emma!" Regina exclaimed in indignation.

Misty paced awkwardly to the table, cursing her decisions in life. How in the world did she agree to this? As the girl positioned herself on one side of the table, she found herself watching Mary Margaret unbuttoning the first two buttons of Cordelia's shirt. _What the fuck?!_ Misty thought, not being able to understand what was happening.

"She's attacking the lesbian!" Emma cried at the top of her lungs, startling the blonde. "That's cheating, mom! That's- Mr. Gold, she's cheating! That's not- That's- Homophobia!"

Mary Margaret sketched a mischievous smile, pacing away, arms raised.

"Don't look at the boobs, Misty!" Holtzmann shouted. "Look at the cups! Oh, wait..."

"At the plastic ones!" Emma added.

If there was a situation more embarrassing than that one, Misty couldn't have possibly thought of it.

"Heads!" Kyle exclaimed.

The crowd cheered. She had a chance to win. No matter how good Cordelia would be at the game, she could be better. Misty crossed her fingers, then recited a short prayer in French, avoiding eye contact with anyone. She had to win. The first ball landed in a cup. Cheers. Misty had to watch the woman chug grape soda, her shirt still unbuttoned. _Don't_. She repeated in her head, avoiding to look at the cleavage. Cordelia gave Kyle the cup, then took a ball. She had a pretty confident look in her eyes. Maybe it was time to get worried. _Fuck_. The girl swore in her mind, watching as the ball landed in the cup with a splash. She scored. Misty looked at the liquid in her cup, already feeling the sickening taste of grape in her mouth.

"Fuck me..." The girl whispered, covering her nose.

Chugging it didn't help. The taste made her stomach twist and turn to the point she felt nauseous.

"Misty, you alright?" Holtzmann asked, approaching her, genuinely worried.

"I-"

Her body refused to accept any form of grape, especially one that tasted that bad. Misty stormed out of the cafeteria.

For some unknown reason, she ran outside, to the tall trees, to the blue sky. A cool gust of wind gently stroked her golden locks, as if nature knew it would make her feel better. Of course it knew. The Universe knew everything about its children. Misty let out a sigh, leaning against the railing, a tiny smile creeping on her lips. _Thank you_. She whispered in her mind, eyes closed. The rays of sun danced on her pale skin, as if they left light, soft kisses along her arms, on her cheeks and nose...

"I somehow knew I'd find you here." The girl could hear Cordelia's voice. "Most people would've gone to the bathroom or to the nurse. You, though..." The woman stated, a soft chuckle following her words.

"I guess I'm just that weird." Misty muttered, barely opening her mouth. She didn't need to open her eyes to tell that Cordelia was getting closer.

"Interesting? Certainly. Weird? Not so much. I suppose you have more to you than most people."

"Ah." The girl scoffed, taking a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" The teacher asked with worry in her voice.

"Yeah. I just need a moment."

"Would you mind if I stayed with you?"

"Not at all."

The sun was warm and nice. The smell of wet, fallen leaves was lingering in the air like an old, overused perfume, neither pleasant, nor irritating. The wind danced through thin branches, skipping from leaf to leaf, carrying away her consciousness up, above the clouds, where it seemed to belong. A part of her, though, remained under the infinite blue of the sky, next to Cordelia, whose shoulder was brushing softly against hers. There was something about her, something utterly different. Misty smiled at the thought, slightly opening her eyes, looking in the woman's direction. Her chest rose with every shaky breath, eyes filled with longing.

"You're beautiful." Cordelia whispered, sketching a sad smile.

Misty couldn't help, but stare in the woman's deep brown eyes. There was so much color behind them, so much soul. They were entrancing, completely out of this world, as if somebody picked the bright light of the stars and carefully placed it in them. The girl felt as if she needed to be close to those eyes, those magnificent eyes. Slowly, painfully slow, she leaned in, heart fluttering in her chest as Cordelia did the same. She needed to be as close to those eyes as she could.

"We won!" Holtzmann's cheerful voice made her jump away from the older woman, heart pounding in her chest. It didn't take more than one second for the shorter blonde to understand what was happening. "Oh shit." They managed to mutter, eyes wide.

"Holtz, it's not-" Misty began, only to be interrupted by Cordelia.

"Whatever you thought might have happened, it didn't. You haven't seen anything." The teacher stated, giving Holtzmann a cold glare. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

They watched as Cordelia paced away, as if she magically forgot everything.

 

* * *

  
Emma insisted on going to a gay bar out of town, for the sole purpose of celebrating their victory and a week of no assignments whatsoever. There was no problem with being underage, apparently, since the bouncer and the bartender knew Emma personally. They drove to the bar, listening to the jock's thoughts on Robin. The monologue continued when they walked in and when they sat at the counter.

"I fucking knew it. They're dating." The girl snarled. "She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Of course she did." Emma scoffed, staring at the glass of apple cider in front of her. "Anyways, we're here to celebrate our win!" She suddenly said with a wide, quite obviously fake smile. "More like Holtz's win. She took your place and Gold took Cordelia's. This little fucker plays beer pong better than anyone I know!" The jock exclaimed, an arm around Holtzmann's shoulders.

"It was alright, I guess." They smirked, sipping water.

"Alright?! You were fantastic!" Emma shouted over the music.

Holtzmann gave her a wide smile. There was nothing to talk about. In fact, Misty wasn't sure she wanted to talk about anything at all. The biology teacher was on her mind. They haven't had the chance to figure anything out. There was the insignificant thread of messages left alone since noon.

 _Cordelia_  
_I'd be thankful if you didn't come to my classroom after classes today._

 _Misty Day_  
_Alright. Are we going to talk about it?_

 _Cordelia_  
_There's nothing to talk about._

"Misty?" Emma suddenly muttered, looking at her shoes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Aren't you afraid to sleep alone in the house?"

Her heart froze. She was. She was terrified of the house itself. It felt like her parents, her grandma, all the saints that were hung on the walls were watching her in the dark, waiting for her to fall asleep, to consume her dreams.

"Sometimes." Misty answered quietly. "I don't sleep that much, though. I can't."

"If you ever want to come over, just tell me." Emma said with a reassuring smile.

Misty felt her phone buzz in her bag. Who could've called her at that hour? Lazily, she searched for the device, her fingers stumbling upon a small box. _That's right_. She thought to herself, checking her phone. The notification came just on time, too. 

"I almost forgot." She chuckled, giving them the dark blue box, a tiny, white bow on top of it. "Happy birthday, Holtz."

"You remembered!" They shouted excitedly, throwing their arms around her neck. "Thank you!"

"Of course I remembered!" Misty smiled, watching as Holtzmann opened the box, only to reveal a pair of skiing goggles and a yellow skiing mask with a repetitive pattern of a molecule with sunglasses.

"It's a molecool!" They squealed, eyes watery. "It's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it." The taller blonde replied.

"Not to interrupt your moment, guys, but we might have a problem." Emma whispered, looking at something behind them. "And Holtz, happy birthday. Everything you drink today is on me."

"Best birthday ever." They whispered back, turning around subtly. "Oh my God. Misty, don't look."

"What? Why?"

"Fuck. She's coming here." Emma swore under her breath. "Fuck. Hide your faces."

What was happening?! Emma suddenly looked the other way, pretending she was on her own. Holtzmann hid as much as they could behind Misty.

"Hide your fucking face." The jock muttered angrily, before putting her cap on, trying to cover herself as much as possible.

Misty did as she was told, knowing that questioning Emma's logic wasn't always the best idea.

"The last time I checked, all three of you were underage." The voice made Misty's head snap up, eyes open wide.

 _Fuck. Cordelia._ The girl took a deep breath, slowly turning around, a worried smile on her face. The teacher looked different. Her skirt seemed tighter, shirt - certainly more transparent. Nothing hid the black bra underneath. Even the look in her eyes wasn't the same, way more daring and cold than before.

"We came with a friend." Emma lied fast.

"Is that so?" The older woman raised an eyebrow. "And where is that friend of yours?"

"I... Somewhere."

"Ah. And does Mary Margaret know you're drinking alcohol in a bar with other students?"

"Fuck." The jock muttered, looking away.

"You came here by car, Emma. Who's gonna drive you home if you're drunk?"

"Holtz."

"Oh. So you're drinking, too!" Cordelia exclaimed with a hint of anger in her voice, glaring at Misty. "I thought you'd be more responsible than that! All of you, in fact!"

"Is there a problem?" The bartender asked, approaching them.

"No. None." Holtzmann blurted out nervously. "We're fine."

"Alright." The man shrugged, pacing to another customer.

"You're all going home. Now." Cordelia ordered.

"Dude, are you serious?!" Emma groaned, standing up. "It's not like we're gonna drink the whole bar and hook up with strangers!"

"We arrived a few minutes ago." Misty added. "We're just talking. To each other."

"And you can't talk anywhere, but here?" The teacher asked. "As much as I'd like to let you be, you're still underage. I have to-"

"Please." Misty begged, giving Cordelia a pleading look.

"Misty..." The woman sighed, not being able to resist those blue eyes. "It's illegal."

"I promise I won't drink anything that contains alcohol."

"Fine." Cordelia muttered, watching as their grins grew wider by every second. "But as a responsible adult and your teacher, I'll have to watch over you."

"I'll assume you were talking to your girlfriend." Emma replied shortly. "Anyways, Holtz, the bar is yours."

 

* * *

 

An hour at least has passed since they've arrived. Cordelia was silent, sitting next to her, carelessly scrolling through her phone, while the girls were talking, laughing, Emma and Holtzmann occasionally drinking.

"You don't have to babysit us." Misty suddenly decided to speak up, glancing at the older woman. "We're perfectly fine by ourselves."

"You and Holtzmann, maybe." Cordelia scoffed, watching as Emma ordered another shot. "Doesn't she understand that her parents will smell the alcohol?"

"She does. That's why we said we're all crashing at my house tonight."

"And your parents? Don't they have anything to say about this?"

"They're dead."

Cordelia's features softened, pity in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Misty shrugged, looking away. She was glad she didn't have to sleep alone in that house, even if for one night.

"Who do you live with, then?"

"I live alone."

"That's why there was nobody at home when I visited... You must feel awfully lonely at times."

"It's fine. I've lived alone for a year and a half."

"Dear God..."

She barely stopped herself from laughing at Cordelia's overreactions. They were cute. It was nice for somebody to care about her.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about..." Misty started, looking doubtfully at the older woman.

"I'm certain there's no need to. It was wrong of me to do such thing. You're my student, Misty. It's unethical for us to be involved in any other relationship than a strictly professional one."

"I know." The girl muttered, somewhat disappointed. She really hoped it could've worked out.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... I really like you." Misty blurted out, immediately regretting it. "What? Did I say that out loud?" The girl chuckled nervously, hiding her face in her hands. "Motherfucker." She whispered under her breath, only to hear Cordelia's laughter over the music.

"It's alright." The woman smiled, taking her hand and pulling her to the dance floor, as if nothing ever happened. "Let's dance."

"I thought you said it was unethical for a student and a teacher to engage in any relationship other than professional and this seems like a thing friends would do, Miss Goode."

Cordelia shot Misty a playful glare, which did nothing more than empathize the word _'cutie'_  in her head. They had fun, that was undeniable, especially with the teacher's drunken dance moves and mid-song commentaries. Misty even dared to think her worries had no reason to stay, that until a slow song came on. Cordelia gently put her hands on the girl's shoulders, a shy smile on her face.

"I wish we had met under different circumstances." The older woman confessed, eyes filled with sadness.

"How can you be drunk and still so eloquent?" Misty laughed dryly, glancing at her shoes. She wasn't ready for that conversation. The girl was about to be officially rejected in a gay bar, on a Wednesday night, while dancing with her crush. She had to leave. "You know, I-"

Caught by surprise wasn't accurate enough. Misty was petrified, eyes wide open, heart beating at an unhealthy rate as Cordelia pressed her lips against the girl's. The taller blonde jumped back, terrified to the core, overwhelmed by emotions.

"I gotta go." She blurted out, storming through the crowd.

"Misty, wait!" Cordelia shouted behind her, trying to reach the girl as she was running to the door, Emma and Holtzmann following her, both confused about the situation. She couldn't turn around.

 

* * *

 

Darkness surrounded her from all sides, the only source of light being the stars. It was somewhat comforting. They were so small comparing to The Universe, like cells of a gigantic body. They lived their insignificant lives, made their impact on the world, then left. What would her impact be? What would she change? She couldn't understand her importance in a world where hate and fear overpowered everything else. She had to stop being afraid. If she wanted to do something good, something right, she had to stop being afraid, right then, right there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You discovered my second greatest, most embarrassing secret after not being able to write endings: not being able to write the 'first kiss' scenes properly. There's people who write it beautifully and make you feel like you see it in front of you and squeal like a schoolgirl and then, there's me. (Hellu ^^) 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. I like writing about the blonde lesbian committee. Also don't worry, after this chapter Holtzmann celebrated her birthday with Erin. Only.
> 
> As always, suggestions are more than welcome. Goodbye, sinful children. May The Gay be with you.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The groups finds out about what happened between Misty and Cordelia at the gay club. Holtzmann celebrates their birthday.
> 
> PTSD tw
> 
> Homophobia tw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbert centered  
> Foxxay mention

"Hey." Holtzmann greeted Misty, who sat by them, anger and confusion written across her face.

 

"Hey." The girl muttered in response, keeping her head low, like she was hiding her face from somebody. 

 

"You wanna munch on some ham sandwiches? They have olives, too. Thought that would cheer you up." 

 

There was no response from the other blonde as she was staring at the table, avoiding to look up. 

 

"Misty, you gotta eat something. It's been two days." Holtzmann stated, taking the other sandwich in her hand and moving it in front of their friend. "I wanna be eaten alive!" They exclaimed in a low voice, trying to make it look like the sandwich was talking. 

 

"Holtz, leave me alone, please." The girl gave them a half-hearted, pleading look, before going back to staring into nothingness. 

 

"You can't keep avoiding Cordelia. She looked like an abandoned puppy when you didn't show up at the lesson."

 

"And?"

 

"And I don't know how much longer I can pretend I don't know why she acts like this. Misty, she stopped teaching after 20 minutes and went to the lab. I'm pretty sure she cried, too."

 

"I couldn't give less fucks." The girl was lying through her teeth. 

 

"Alright. Pretending you don't care at all, which is absurd, you still need to be present at the lessons."

 

"And I will be. Sooner or later."

 

Misty avoided Cordelia at all costs since Thursday. Every single time they passed each other through the halls, the taller blonde practically ran past her, looking in another direction, sketching a fake smile. A few more seconds passed before they acknowledged another presence. The short brunette, who utterly terrified Holtzmann, but at the same time, rose a lot of questions in their head, was sitting on the opposite side of the table, chewing on some cookies, watching the two blondes as they talked. 

 

"Well, hello." Carmilla smirked, putting down an unfinished cookie. "I hope you don't mind me sitting here."

 

"Not at all." Holtzmann replied hesitantly. "How much of our conversation have you heard?" 

 

"Most of it."

 

Misty's head shot up, eyes wide. 

 

"Don't worry, hippie. I'm not telling on you and your girlfriend." Carmilla sighed, trying to pretend she was bored. "Even if I was, every person who has a functioning pair of eyes has already seen the way you look at each other."

 

"She's not my girlfriend." Misty mumbled, blushing. 

 

Before Carmilla could make another comment, they saw Regina almost running to their table, surprisingly all alone. 

 

"Hey. What did I miss?" Regina asked, standing right behind Carmilla. _Where are the rest?_ Holtzmann asked themselves, watching as the brunette sat next to the senior girl, not even questioning her presence. 

 

"Nothing much." Holtzmann answered, a lazy smile on their lips. "Where's Emma?" 

 

"At the jock table, again." The girl replied, rolling her eyes. "She's mad at me." A hint of pain could be heard in her voice. 

 

"You can't know that for sure." Carmilla suddenly stated. "It's more likely to be the situation about Kara leaving." 

 

"Kara what?!" Regina exclaimed in surprise. 

 

"She went back to National City with her sister. Lena is gone, too, as far as I'm concerned."

 

"How do you know all that stuff?" Holtzmann asked. 

 

"My girlfriend wants to be a journalist."

 

"I thought you were arguing, though."

 

"We are. Mostly. They invited me to game night." Carmilla explained. 

 

"Oh." 

 

It didn't take long for the girl to notice a certain blonde teacher walking towards their table. Holtzmann had to act fast. They knew for a fact Cordelia would want to talk to Misty and the girl would feel uncomfortable. They took the Biology copybook out of their back and put it on the table, in front of her. If she pretended to be busy, she could avoid whatever was going to happen next, right? 

 

"Can you check this, please?" They asked in a cheerful voice, pointing at the information they wrote down on that day. 

 

"What?" Misty muttered in confusion, raising her head. 

 

"Check it, please?"

 

With an annoyed sigh, Misty did as she was told, reading carefully every line, while the teacher was getting closer to them. Once the taller blonde looked up, a nervous smile found its place on her lips as she tried to pretend she didn't notice Cordelia walking up to them.

 

"Why should you always be the one who sniffs out the shitstorm, Holtz?" Misty whispered angrily, pretending she was reading something in their copybook. 

 

"It's a talent." They chuckled. "Just pretend you're really busy and if she asks why you weren't there at the lesson, say you had an appointment or something. Be nice."

 

"What's happening?" Regina whispered, but as soon as she spotted the woman in her peripheral vision, it all became clear. 

 

"Uh oh." Carmilla smirked, seeing Cordelia behind the two blondes. "Hello, Miss Goode." The brunette cheered, imperceptibly warning Misty about the older woman's presence. 

 

"Morning, girls." The teacher said, hovering above Misty. "Can we talk?" She whispered, thinking that only the girl could hear. "Privately?" 

 

"I'm actually busy, as you might've noticed." The girl mentioned.

 

"May I ask, where were you during the Biology lesson?" 

 

"I went to the doctor." Misty blurted out. 

 

"What? Why? Are you alright?" Cordelia asked, genuine worry in her voice as she put her hand on Misty's shoulder, probably thinking she was subtle. 

 

"Yeah, I just... I had an appointment. That's all."

 

"If you say so... Are you going to come to my classroom after the lessons?" 

 

"Nope. Promised somebody we're gonna hang out after school."

 

"I hope I'm not stepping on any boundaries if I ask for that person's name."

 

The word ' _Shit!_ ' was basically written all across Misty's stupefied face expression. She needed saving. 

 

"With me." Regina suddenly decided to play the hero. "We're meeting after school."

 

"Oh." She faked a smile, straightening her back, her hand never leaving Misty's shoulder. "Alright, then. I have to go. See you later, girls."

 

And with those words that were filled with disappointment, the teacher left. 

 

"Fuck!" Misty groaned, bumping her head on the table. 

 

"Misty, quit it. You'll hurt the table." They tried to joke, only to get another groan in response. "Come on, it's not that bad! At least she believed you." 

 

"Did she, though? Did she really think you had an appointment?" Carmilla wondered, fascinated. "She's so oblivious, so... Naive."

 

"That's fun and all, but what the hell just happened?" Regina asked frustrated. 

 

"I thought you were right here the whole time."

 

"That's not what I meant, Holtz." Regina sighed.

 

"She meant to ask why was Cordelia so touchy and girlfriend-ish." Carmilla explained. "Which, by the way, is a great question."

 

"I'd rather keep it private." Misty replied. 

 

"You have to tell me what happened if you want me to cover for you."

 

"Fine." The girl muttered, annoyed by the discussion. "But promise not to tell anyone."

 

"I promise." Regina stated, a serious look on her face. 

 

Their eyes settled on Carmilla, who remained silent, finishing the last cookie. 

 

"I thought I already told you I wouldn't say anything." The shorter brunette grumbled. 

 

"Alright, then." Misty exhaled slowly. "Holtz, you can tell the story now."

 

"Wait, what?" The young scientist looked confused at their friend. 

 

"I can't tell it. It's too personal." The taller blonde sketched an innocent smile. "And when you tell stories, it's always fast and clear." 

 

"Fine." They groaned playfully, trying to remember the main details of that eventful night. "We went to a gay bar on Wednesday. It's Emma's fault, by the way. So, there were the three of us, just talking and drinking. Then Cordelia showed up—"

 

"In a gay club?!" Regina raised her eyebrows. "She's gay?" 

 

"If eyefucking Misty every time they meet isn't enough of a hint..." Carmilla commented.

 

"Anyways, Cordelia was pretty drunk and she invited Misty to dance. And they did. And then I have no idea what happened. When Misty came back, she was really nervous and we went home."

 

After a pause, Regina looked up, inspecting the taller blonde's face. 

 

"Misty, what happened while you were dancing?" The girl asked calmly. 

 

"Did you two... You know..." Carmilla questioned, suddenly interested in the conversation. 

 

"Kiss?" Misty spoke in a weak voice. 

 

Regina's jaw dropped, as well as Holtzmann's. Carmilla didn't seem that impressed by that information. 

 

"What if somebody from our town saw you? Cordelia would be fired on the spot, Misty!" Regina whispered aggressively. 

 

"She kissed me, okay?! It's not my fault." The girl responded. "I fucking wish it didn't happen."

 

"Sure you do." Carmilla hummed, smirking mischievously, gaining a glare from Misty. "Regina is right, though. You have to be more careful. Lock the doors, close all windows—"

 

"Are we really talking about this?! Misty, you're underage!" 

 

"I'm almost 18!" 

 

"Five years isn't that big of a difference." Carmilla agreed, then checked her phone. "Shit. It'll ring in one minute." The girl stood up, taking the black leather bag in one hand. "See y'a, kids." She smirked, pacing away calmly as she mumbled "What a clusterfuck..." 

 

As much as they didn't like acknowledging it, Carmilla was right. How was Misty going to deal with _this_? Nobody could possibly know. Holtzmann convinced themselves not to get involved in that situation at any costs. 

 

* * *

 

"Holtzy, where's your ghost movie collection?!" Patty shouted from the living room. 

 

"Next to the TV or behind it!" 

 

"Found it!" 

 

They agreed on celebrating Holtzmann's birthday on Friday with the whole gang. That way, they could watch movies till 3 AM and have more time to talk, joke around and vent about whatever was going on in school or university. As they were filling a second bowl with snacks, a pair of hands slowly slid around their waist, making a smile appear on their face. 

 

"Hey." Erin whispered, hugging them tight. "How was school?" 

 

"It was fine." Holtzmann answered quietly. "And uni?" 

 

"Boring, as always."

 

The blonde felt a warm, tingly sensation in their chest as Erin placed a gentle kiss on the back of their neck. Having a girlfriend, especially one like Erin, was great. 

 

"Erin?" 

 

"Hm?" 

 

"I like you." 

 

"I like you, too."

 

"Guys, I'm really happy for you, but I'm also hungry as fuck." They could hear Abby's voice coming somewhere from behind them. "If you stopped cuddling like a pair of old people and brought the food in, that would be amazing."

 

"Fiiine." Holtzmann groaned playfully, picking up the bowls and turning around, meeting Erin's face. "Oh my God." They muttered in utter amazement. 

 

"What? Is something wrong?" Erin asked, a note of concern in her voice.

 

"You're fucking beautiful!" They exclaimed, making the brunette blush a deep shade of pink. 

 

"I'm seriously gonna barf." Abby complained, walking angrily towards them. "Give me those." She demanded, taking the bowls out of Holtzmann's hands. "Lovesick puppies."

 

The blonde chucked, taking Erin's hand in theirs. Their girlfriend was stunning. _My girlfriend_. They repeated in their head, unable to believe their luck. 

 

"You're my girlfriend." Holtzmann said out loud, a sheepish grin on their lips. 

 

"I am." Erin smirked cupping Holtzmann's cheeks with her hands. "I like you a lot."

 

"Right? I'm irresistible." They joked, sitting on the counter, for once in their life being the same height as the brunette. 

 

"Holtz..."

 

"I'm kidding. I like you a lot, too." They chuckled, staring in her eyes. The brunette did unspeakable things to them. "Erin?" 

 

"Yeah?" 

 

"Can I kiss you?" 

 

Before Holtzmann could even process their own words properly, Erin leaned forward, placing a gentle, soft kiss on their lips. It felt incredibly warm. Their heart was jumping in their chest as they kissed her back. It felt like home. They were so happy like that, their arms around Erin's neck, bodies as close as possible. In fact, Holtzmann was pretty sure they were on the verge of tears. 

 

"You can't imagine how glad I am to have you in my life." Holtzmann whispered, hugging the taller girl as tight as they could, legs wrapped around her waist. "Even when we were just friends-" Their emotional speech was interrupted by Erin, who kissed them hard. They loved it, the way their kiss deepened, the way the brunette's hands moved on their body. Holtzmann considered not going to the living room. They felt just fine like that. 

 

"Y'ALL STOP FUCKING ON THE COUNTER!" Patty's loud demand made both of them jump. "You put food there, Holtzy! Get your ass down!" 

 

They chuckled, hopping on the floor with ease, then took Erin's hand, a warm smile on their lips. Loud music was playing from the living room. Something really dumb was about to happen. They could feel it in their gut. Holtzmann's heart almost stopped when they saw Kevin on the glass table, standing on one leg and Abby underneath it, pretending she was in pain. 

 

"Guys! You could actually get hurt!" Erin exclaimed, voice filled with concern. 

 

"They're fine." Holtzmann muttered, taking a few pictures of the scene. "This is a religious experience, by the way."

 

"Kevin. Down." Patty ordered, a stern look on her face while Kevin did just as he was told. "You're all like a bunch of kids." She sighed, looking at Abby as she was crawling from under the table. "Very, very stupid kids."

 

"Don't be mad." Abby chuckled, sitting on the sofa. "You know, you can't waste a good glass table, when you can do all kinds of dumb shit with it."

 

"Jesus, why..." Patty sighed, trying to hide the fact that she was, at least a tiny bit, entertained by them. 

 

* * *

 

They spent little time talking. After choosing a movie for almost 10 minutes, they gathered on the sofa, all covered by blankets. Holtzmann made sure to bring only one for them and Erin. They wanted to cuddle with their girlfriend, after all. Erin certainly didn't protest, hugging them and kissing them as much as she could. It was nice to feel truly happy, without a shadow of doubt once in a while. 

 

"Alright. I gotta go to the bathroom." Abby announced, standing up. "Can I turn off the lights?" 

 

"Sure!" All of them agreed. 

 

Abby was gone for a really long time and nobody seemed to mind, except for them. In fact, everybody was smiling like they knew something Holtzmann didn't. _Well, that's strange._ They thought, raising an eyebrow. Maybe Erin would have an answer. 

 

"What's ha-" 

 

Their jaw dropped as soon as they saw it. Abby walked into the room, holding a cake with candles and all, while everybody was singing ' _Happy birthday_ '. 

 

"Oh dear Sappho." Holtzmann uttered, tears of joy sliding down their cheeks as the group finished singing. 

 

"Happy birthday, Holtzmann!" They all cheered. "Blow the candles!" Abby encouraged them, putting the cake, which had a little ghost made of white chocolate, on the glass table. 

 

They clapped when Holtzmann blew out the candles and congratulated them again. 

 

"Happy birthday, sweetie." Erin whispered, kissing them.

 

 

It was safe to say that Kevin ate almost a half of the cake and would've eaten even more if Patty didn't stop him. Holtzmann didn't mind, though. They were glad they finally had friends who liked them enough to celebrate their birthday the second year in a row and a great girlfriend to cuddle with. As happy as they were, Holtzmann needed some rest. They buried their nose in the crook of Erin's neck, slowly drifting to sleep. 

 

* * *

 

_It hurts. Whenever their boots touch her body, it hurts like hell. She can't even scream for help. Every kick makes her want to die there. Why did she deserve that?_

_"Ugly dyke!" One of them shouted._

_She would've given a kidney just to be able to scream once. Maybe somebody would've heard her. All she could do was mouth 'please' and cry. She didn't do anything. Why were they doing this to her?_

_"Holtzmann!" The other one yelled. "Holtz!"_

 

 

Holtzmann inhaled sharply as they woke up. Their lungs were burning. It hurt. 

 

"Jillian." They could hear her voice, feel her hand on their shoulder. "Sweetie."

 

They tried to control their frantic breathing and their tears. It was useless. 

 

"It was a dream. I'm here. You're safe."

 

As soon as they saw her, Holtzmann threw their arms around her body. They needed to calm down. 

 

"I'm with you." Erin whispered, hugging them back. "You're safe."

 

Holtzmann felt bad for waking her up. They wished they could dream of rockets and ghosts and cool motorbikes instead of... That. Why did it have to be them? 

 

After a while, the tears stopped and their breathing went back to normal. Something in their body still hurt, though. They wished they could just close their eyes and pass out, no thought whatsoever. 

 

"Holtz, are you sleeping?" 

 

They decided to pretend they were, for her sake. She didn't have to worry about it, so why would she suffer with them? Holtzmann heard Erin stand up and leave. Maybe she needed a cup of water or wanted to take a shower in the middle of the night. They could hear Abby walk out of the room after a while, too. Erin and Abby's voices could be heard from the kitchen. _What happened?_ In a moment of weakness and curiosity, Holtzmann stood up and decided to see what the conversation was about. They stopped next to the door, where nobody could see them. 

 

"Was it the dream again?" Abby asked. "It gets worse around October."

 

"It's horrible." Erin whispered.

 

"You'll get used to it."

 

"I don't think I can. Actually, I don't think I want to."

 

Their heart was bleeding. Did she really mean that?

 

"Holtz might get the wrong idea if you tell them that."

 

"I'm not going to. It's just... She's not able to sleep well. I can't get much sleep, either. How am I supposed to go to work the day after?" 

 

"You have to figure it out on your own. You've already slept in the same bed twice. Is it really that bad?"

 

"It's fucking horrible."

 

Shit. They wished they could rip their heart out. It hurt too much. They were a burden. Holtzmann didn't even notice how they stepped in front of the door. Abby and Erin were staring at her. 

 

"Holtz, you alright?" Abby asked, a cup of water in her hands. 

 

"Honey?" Erin whispered, cupping their cheeks. "What's wrong?" 

 

"Get out of my house." They didn't even know why they said it.

 

"What?"

 

"Get out."

 

There was something else in her eyes. Fear. Holtzmann had to make an effort to take a step back and go all the way to their room, just to break down by the window. Surely Erin didn't mean that. They tried to convince themselves. It was pointless. Her steps echoed through the room a moment later. They stared away, avoiding eye contact at any cost. 

 

"Holtz, look at me." She begged, putting a hand on their knee. "I'm sorry."

 

"Erin, please, leave."

 

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean it."

 

How were they supposed to stay angry at Erin? She didn't mean any harm.

 

"I swear to God, Holtz, I'd stay with you every night if I could make you happy every day."

 

"Cheesy." They scoffed, wiping away their tears, finally looking at Erin. She was on the verge of tears, too and Holtzmann wouldn't allow that in their house. "I forgive you, but only because you're pretty." They muttered, pulling her into a tight hug. "And I demand a weekly sacrifice of Pringles."

 

"Deal." Erin replied, hugging them back. "I care about you a lot. Please don't forget that."

 

"I won't."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Holtzbert the ship of stability in this fic. Mainly cuz I'm gonna fuck up the other ones. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm really sorry for the sloppy writing in this one. I'm writing 2 fics at a time at that doesn't go as well as I thought it would. :') I promise I'll try to write better. 
> 
> I accept all suggestions and ideas, as always. Thank for 1000 hits and kudos! I appreciate them all. And the comments. The comments give me life. 
> 
> See you next time, kids!
> 
> PS: Sorry for not writing supercorp. Maybe in another fic. Also, I might publish once in 2 weeks until my inspiration decides to come back from its eternal vacation.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rape mention tw  
> Hate crime tw  
> Assault tw  
> Homophobia tw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swanqueen centered

Regina didn't like that place anymore. The whole town seemed to dislike her. Emma refused to even look in her direction, let alone talk to her. Carmilla assured the younger girl that Emma would come around eventually, which was very strange of her to do, considering the two brunettes barely knew each other. 

 

"I wanna move schools." Regina blurted out once during dinner. 

 

"No." Her mother replied calmly, not even bothering to look at her.

 

Regina never touched the subject again. When Cora said no, she meant it. 

 

_R. M.  _

_I'm sorry to bother you. Is she alright?_

_C. K.  _

_Yes._  

Regina and Carmilla kept in touch, in case anything happened to Emma that Regina didn't know of. She couldn't help but care for the blonde. 

 

_C. K.  _

_You can call her, you know..._

_R. M.  _

_What for? So she can be pissy about it?_

_C. K.  _

_She's not gonna pull her head out of her own ass soon. Just saying._

_R. M.  _

_Why is she even mad at me?_

 

That's where the conversation usually stopped. Carmilla made it clear that she wasn't going to talk about Emma more than necessary on multiple occasions.

 

_Robin_

_Hey, princess._

_Regina_

_Excuse you?!_

_Robin_

_My apologies, your Majesty. Hey, queen._

 

Regina scoffed under her breath, looking at the messages. Robin was a softie and at the moment, her only friend. He never insinuated anything, unlike most guys who tried to befriend her. Even though he made it quite clear once that he might feel something towards her, he never insisted. In fact, the boy encouraged Regina to date other people, talking with her about girls and boys she might like, listening and advising her on which people to avoid or befriend.

 

_Robin_

_No news from your atomic blonde?_

_Regina_

_Stop calling her that. I read the comics. They're terrible._

_She's still mad at me._

_Robin_

_No doubt. Maybe she's just jealous you kissed my cheek and not hers._

_Regina_

_Stop with the allusions, else help me Lord..._

_Robin_

_Alright, alright. If I hear anything, I'll call you. Deal?_

_Regina_

_Deal._

 

Robin kept saying Emma had a crush on her, which didn't seem that rational. There were a few moments, like when they held hands and when Emma got way too affectionate that made her doubt the nature of their friendship. Those moments were insignificant, though. 

 

Time passed slowly when her mother was at home, especially on Sundays. Cora insisted that her daughter's grades weren't nearly as good as they used to be and that she could do much better. It annoyed Regina to the core. The girl tried her best in school and it was painful to know that her efforts weren't enough, without her mother rubbing it in her face. Sometimes, she'd let a tear or two slide down her cheeks, only to be mocked by Cora. 

 

Regina sat comfortably in her bed, reading a History book when the same alarming text came from both Carmilla and Robin. It was a video. 

 

_C. K. Sent an attachment. _

_COME PICK ME UP!_

 

_Robin sent an attachment. _

_I'm driving there with Kirsch. Come fast._

 

As soon as the video started, her heart froze. It was all happening in the school yard, where Emma used to run in the evening. Killian and Mike were holding her by the hair, smug smirks on their faces. Emma was squirming in their arms, trying hard to escape, when Mike's fist landed in her stomach. Her face was filled with pain that almost brought her to tears. Almost. Emma wouldn't give up easily. 

 

 _"Look at what we have here!"_ Killian shouted with pride, giving her hair a yank to make her look at the camera. _"A sweet little dyke!"_  

 

 _"Let me go, you dumb fucks!"_ Emma yelled, only to have Mike knee her in the ribs and almost land a fist in her face. 

 

 _"Stop!"_ Killian shouted. _"I want her to be pretty when I fuck her."_

 

They laughed like it was nothing. Regina couldn't keep watching. Her knees went weak, tears streaming down her face. She needed to save Emma. Regina rushed to her car, not paying any attention to her mother's questions and drove straight to her friend's apartment. Carmilla was already outside, waiting anxiously, struggling to keep a straight face expression. As soon as she sat in the car, though, her emotions started to show. Her face expressed pure rage. 

 

"Did you watch it till the end?" The girl asked as they were driving to the school.

 

"No. I couldn't." Regina confessed. 

 

Carmilla found the video, then turned the sound up. 

 

"Listen." She ordered with bitterness in her voice. 

 

 _"First, I'll fuck you, then your little crush."_ Killian said. 

 

 _"Who?"_ She sounded tired.

 

 _"The one you follow around like a puppy."_ Mike explained. _"The Latina."_

 

 _"Gina."_ Emma's voice was shaking. _"Don't you fucking touch her!"_ She yelled out. _"I'll fucking rip you to shreds if you touch her!"_

 

Whatever they did to her afterwards made Emma scream in pain. Carmilla paused the video. The blonde still managed to care about her, even if that meant she could be murdered. Regina tried hard to contain her tears, failing miserably. She had to save Emma. 

 

* * *

 

 

There were more cars on the domain than on usual school days. As soon as she found herself out of the vehicle, Regina ran towards the crowd, her heart pounding hard in her chest, hoping Emma was still alive. 

 

"Regina!" Danny Lawrence, the leader of the volleyball team, met her halfway. The senior girl began to explain the situation as they were hurrying towards the place where it all happened. "Laura and Perry are helping her stay awake. Somebody called an ambulance. Her parents will be here soon. She's asking for you, asking if you're okay." Danny was pushing people left and right, making space for them to pass to Emma. "She's gonna be okay. I'm sure of it." The other girl stated, before letting Regina see the blonde. 

 

Her heart ached, uncontrollable sobs escaping her lungs as she fell on her knees next to Emma's barely moving body. Even though her face was intact, blood was covering her clothes. LaFontaine and JP were working on sewing the open wounds and disinfecting them, while Laura and Perry were helping. Regina stepped in Laura's place, who was sitting on the ground, Emma's head on her lap. The blonde felt the change immediately. 

 

"Gina?" She whispered.

 

"I'm here." Regina whispered back, tears falling uncontrollably as she was gently tracing patterns on Emma's cheeks. "I'm with you."

 

"You're safe." The blonde smiled.

 

Those words tore into her being. Regina started to cry hysterically, unable to stop. Even in that state, Emma still found the ability to care about her. 

 

"You care about me too much." The brunette barely uttered, wiping away Emma's tears. 

 

"Don't say that." 

 

Regina leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering "My hero."

 

Emma gave her a wide smile, before wincing in pain as LaFontaine touched her ribs. 

 

"Bruised, maybe broken, but they didn't puncture the lungs. Good to know." They stated as JP was writing down the information. "There's no broken limbs. I don't think they damaged the spine, either." They informed Regina. "The internal organs, though... That's an entirely different story."

 

"We're here!" Ruby shouted as she walked up to them, panting heavily, two bags in her hands. 

 

"We brought everything, Doc." Mel, another volleyball player stated, holding two water bottles, a few pill boxes noticeable from the pockets of her jacket.

 

"Good job. Put them here."

 

Regina's jaw dropped as she saw multiple syringes, needles and other medical utensils in the bags. Were they going to perform a surgery on her right there?!

 

"Doc, if you're dissecting me..." Emma chuckled dryly, trying to hide the pain. 

 

"That's just in case you bleed internally or faint. Don't worry." LaFontaine tried to reassure them. 

 

"What a relief." The blonde scoffed. "Gina? You still there?" 

 

"Of course! I'm never leaving you again."

 

"Technically, I left you." Emma pointed out. "And I'm sorry."

 

"It's fine." Regina chuckled nervously, slowly calming down. "Just... Never do it again, alright?" 

 

"Alright."

 

Her parents arrived first. They would've pushed Regina out of the way if Emma didn't insist on her staying. The blonde said Regina calmed her down and made the pain bearable. Graham, meanwhile, arrested Killian and Mike, making sure they got hurt on the way to the car. The group of seniors stayed until the ambulance came. LaFontaine explained every injury they've discovered and tried to sew to the doctor, who was in awe of their clean stitches, but still scolded them for sewing up a living human. They were long gone when Regina finally decided to move. Her whole body was shaking as she grabbed her phone out of her purse. She didn't want to go home and be alone again. 

 

_Regina_

_Where are you?_

_Robin_

_At the police station. Why?_

 

 

They were sitting in Regina's car, watching as people were passing by, food and drinks in their hands. She asked him to explain the whole situation, from start to finish.

 

"They sent the video to a few guys, including Carmilla's brother, Will. He forwarded it to Carmilla as a warning to run if she sees Killian and Mike. She forwarded it to every contact in her phone, including Danny. Danny forwarded it to me and a few other guys. I forwarded it to you. Kirsch came by and picked me up. When we got there, Danny and Mel were already beating them up. Mike had a knife, which was taken from him as soon as possible. They had more than enough time to use it.  We helped tie them up, while Danny called for help. Nobody, except for Emma's team and a few other seniors were allowed to approach her. She was asking about you, if you were safe."

 

"Why? I'm always home on Sundays." Regina wondered. 

 

"Maybe she thought somebody else got to you, too." He shrugged, taking a big bite out of his cheeseburger.

 

"What did they do to her?" 

 

"They landed a few knees in her stomach and chest, punched her, made a few cuts. Didn't rape her, if that's what you're trying to ask."

 

Regina was relieved, knowing that Emma didn't have to go through that, too.

 

"I think she really likes you." Robin suddenly stated.

 

"Emma?"

 

"Mhm. You became friends very fast, too. I mean, it's October and you started talking to each other in September."

 

"I guess we just get along well."

 

Regina knew well that the real reason they became friends so fast was because Emma needed help in classes and Regina was lonely.

 

"Get along well." He scoffed. "She's following you around, Gina! She blushes and threatens to rip off the balls or ovaries of every person who dares suggest she likes you romantically!" 

 

"That doesn't mean she really, really likes me, though."

 

"When did you turn straight and oblivious?" Robin rolled his eyes playfully. 

 

Emma did have a strange tendency of giving Regina random gifts like cookies, flowers stolen from somebody else's garden or other things that the blonde claimed reminded her of the brunette. She never thought it happened because Emma fancied her.

 

"The more you ponder over it, the more sense it'll make." Robin said, then finished his drink. 

 

Regina's phone buzzed. It was probably her mother, trying to find out where she was. The girl unlocked it and pressed the notification. 

 

_Emma sent an attachment. _

_A few cracked ribs and a shitload of bruises. In rest, I'm fine. Wanna grab lunch next week?_

 

The photo was gruesome. Her stomach was covered in bruises. Regina yelped upon seeing it, attracting Robin's attention.

 

"What happened?" He asked, a hint of worry in his eyes, that before Regina showed him the image. "Emma, you sly fucker!" He chuckled. 

 

"What's so funny?! She's hurt!" 

 

"Gina, she's showing you her abs."

 

"How do you know that?" 

 

"Did she invite you for lunch or dinner or something?" 

 

"Yeah."

 

"She's definitely showing off."

 

The brunette rolled her eyes, annoyed by Robin's comments. How could he be so relaxed in a situation like this?! Emma was actually hurt, for God's sake! 

 

_Regina_

_Are you allowed to go back home already?_

 

Apparently, Emma decided it was a better idea to talk than to text. She called Regina, her voice barely audible. The brunette put her on speaker, due to Robin's request. He said he would be able to prove that Emma was crushing on her. 

 

 _"Hey, princess."_ The blonde uttered. 

 

"Hey. Are you sure they're allowing you to go home?" 

 

_"Why not? Laf sewed me up on the spot. Except for it being unsanitary, the doctors had no problem with it. I have no broken bones. The ribs will have to heal on their own. They even said I'll rest much better in my own bed."_

 

"That means no softball."

 

_"Exactly. I have a lot of time to kill after school."_

 

Silence. Neither of them wanted to end the call there. 

 

_"So... Lunch this week? I won't go to school for a few days, but Doc said I have to keep moving."_

 

"She's asking you out." Robin whispered carefully. 

 

She was going to prove him wrong. 

 

"Sure. This isn't a date, by the way, right?" 

 

Silence, again. Was she really wrong? 

 

 _"Of course not."_ Emma replied, her words followed by an awkward chuckle. _"I wouldn't want to... You know... You and Robin..."_ She paused, taking a deep breath. _"Gina, I gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow, okay? Thanks for everything, again. Bye."_

 

Emma hung up faster than Regina could understand what was happening. 

 

"Firstly, I told you she's jealous. Secondly, you allow her to call you princess and when I do, you snap at me?! Rude!" The boy acted hurt.

 

"She's probably jealous I'm spending more time with you than with her, not because she has a crush on me."

 

Robin gave her The Face. He made it whenever Regina was entirely oblivious towards something or refused to accept the fact that she was wrong. It expressed pure annoyance and frustration. Before she could think of a witty reply to his infamous face expression, Robin's phone rang. 

 

"Shit. I gotta go." He muttered under his breath, looking at the screen, then back at her. "Take care, alright?" 

 

"Alright." Regina sighed, watching him get out of the car and run to the bus station. 

 

* * *

 

 

She's been informed that Killian and Mike were going to be sent to a Juvenile Detention Center and await trial there. Regina had the chance to talk to Holtzmann and Misty later that evening. They tried to contact Emma, too, but she seemed to have her phone turned off. There were no news, other than that. Regina would've called Carmilla, if she didn't know that the girl was probably with Laura. Still, she had to find whether Emma was feeling better or not. 

 

_Regina_

_Hi._

 

Surprisingly, Emma was typing. She was still alive, then. Regina's heart was pounding hard in her chest as she waited for the blonde to hit send. 

 

_Emma_

_[;^[ >[_

 

 _Huh?_ What was that supposed to be? 

 

_Regina_

_Use your words, Swan._

 

_Emma_

_] >£~£jdoawks_

 

It took her a moment to finally understand what was going on. Regina sketched a smile, typing her response. 

 

_Regina_

_Hi, Neal._

 

Of course Neal, Emma's brother, took over her phone. It happened quite often. They even had a soulful conversation once about the importance of robot dinosaurs, which consisted mostly of Neal's senseless sentences and Regina's 'Yes, of course.' or 'Agreed.' 

 

_Emma_

_I see you and Neal had a chat. Again._

_Regina_

_Indeed. He's quite a charming young man._

_Emma_

_Really, now? What about his sister?_

_Regina_

_Pretty immature, if you ask me. A hero, nonetheless._

_Emma_

_YOUR hero._

_ Regina _

_Yeah. My hero._

 

Emma _did_ defend her, so she had every right to call herself Regina's hero. That message didn't necessarily contain any romantic nuances. 

 

_Emma_

_There better not be any sarcasm in that text, Gina._

_Regina_

_There isn't._

_Emma_

_Good. By the way, Mary and David are asking if you wanna come over next Friday/Saturday._

_Regina_

_Wouldn't I be bothering you?_

_Emma_

_No! You're never bothering me._

_I mean us._

_As a family._

_Neal would love to see you, too._

_Please come._

_To our house on Friday or Saturday._

Regina suppressed a giggle as she read the texts. Emma's inability to compose elaborate, coherent sentences was the brunette's main source of entertainment.

 

_Regina_

_Alright. I'll see if I'm allowed to._

_Emma_

_Cool!_

_Do you wanna FaceTime?_

_Neal misses you._

_Neal._

_Not me._

 

Regina found it hard to believe that Neal, whom she saw 3 or 4 times in real life, missed her. Except for the occasional messages and calls the two had, Regina and the little boy knew each other only from the photos Emma took of them. She wouldn't mind seeing how the blonde was doing, though. That way, there was a bigger chance that Mary Margaret would shout what was actually going on with Emma from the kitchen, since the blonde would certainly try to act like the whole beating left her with nothing but a simple scratch. 

 

_Regina_

_Alright._

 

Emma seemed to be exhausted. As Regina predicted, she hid the pain with a wide smile. 

 

 _"Hey, princess."_ The blonde tried to sound cheerful.

 

 _"Good evening, Regina!"_ Mary Margaret said, somewhere in the room.

 

 _"Gina!"_ Little Neal shouted, jumping on the bed,  next to his sister, only to be scolded by his mother. _"Gina!"_ He exclaimed, pointing at the phone.

 

"Hello, Neal!" The girl chuckled, a smile on her lips.

 

 _"Daddy bought a robot dinosaur! Wait!"_ The boy ran off to grab his toy. 

 

 _"Well, now that we have a moment of almost privacy..."_ Emma scoffed, glancing at her mother. _"How are you?"_  

 

"I'm fine. You should worry about yourself right now. How bad is it?" 

 

_"I thought I told you."_

 

 _"She's talking to me, honey."_ Mary Margaret said with a reassuring smile, sitting next to Emma so Regina could see her. _"She's got 3 cracked ribs and almost 14 knife cuts. None of them are deep enough to need surgical treatment. Her entire stomach is bruised and her knees and hands are scrapped."_

 

 _"They did drop me multiple times..."_ Emma uttered.

 

"I wish I could be there right now." The brunette sighed. 

 

 _"You can always come by. Stay the night."_ The blonde proposed, hope in her eyes as she turned to her mother. _"Please?"_

 

 _"Honey, Regina has school tomorrow."_ Mary Margaret gave her an apologetic look. _"But she will visit us next Friday, won't she?"_

 

"I'll see what I can do."

 

Meanwhile, Neal came back, a plastic toy, as big as his head in his tiny hands. 

 

 _"Robot dinosaur!"_ He grinned. 

 

Both Emma and Regina chucked, watching the boy as he tried to explain what the creature could do, until Mary Margaret took him in her arms and they both wished Regina good night. 

 

"So." The brunette sighed, watching Emma, who was struggling to stay awake. "How are you feeling? Answer honestly."

 

_"I'll be fine."_

 

"Emma."

 

 _"My ribs hurt. My knees hurt. My palms hurt. My head hurts. Fuck."_ She laughed dryly. _"Everything hurts. Especially the ribs."_

 

"I wish I could do something." 

 

 _"You've done more than enough."_ The blonde reassured her.

 

"Like what? Arrive when you were already hurt and barely awake? Cry uncontrollably? Eat take out in the parking lot with Robin while you were in the hospital?" Regina was on the verge of tears again. "You defended me in front of them. God dammit, Emma! You risked your well-being to defend my _honor_! I wish it would've happened to me instead."

 

"No." Emma protested. "Don't say that ever again! Do you understand me? You don't deserve that. Nobody does. Don't blame yourself for something you had no control over. Please. If I had the chance, I would defend you over and over, no matter at what cost."

 

She was, more than certainly, crying hysterically in front of the blonde once again. She didn't deserve Emma's friendship. 

 

"Gina, I'm falling asleep. Take care of yourself, alright?" 

 

"Alright." She barely uttered, wiping away her tears.

 

Emma hung up before she could say 'You too'. The brunette wanted to vanish in thin air. Emma would be better off without her. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellu. :)  
> How are you? What are you doing on this very fine day?  
> I uploaded earlier, cuz next week I won't be able to write anything at all, not until Sunday, at least.  
> New concept: Oblivious Regina Mills. Next swanqueen chapter won't be much different tbh.  
> Suggestions and ideas are more than welcome. Kudos and comments give me eternal power over your sou- I MEAN THEY GIVE ME LIFE
> 
> See y'a next time, kids! Thanks for stopping by.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fragment that contains aro discourse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxxay centered
> 
> Swanqueen mention (I'm sorry)

In the past, she would've yelled at herself for doing such an irresponsible thing. _What if somebody finds it? What if they steal it?_ Cordelia was doing her best trying to look innocent in front of Mary Margaret and Emma, who stopped by right after the last lesson. 

 

"Hey." The older woman smiled, nudging her daughter inside. "I hope we're not interrupting anything important."

 

"Not at all." Cordelia returned the smile, taking off her glasses and putting them on the table. "How may I help you?" 

 

Everybody knew why Emma hadn't been at school that day. Well, at least until then. She felt sorry for the girl. Nobody should have to go through something like that. 

 

"I'm kind of busy with some students and Emma keeps distracting them. Is it okay if she hangs around here? I mean, if you don't have anything better to do until 4."

 

"Until 4?" Cordelia asked, arching an eyebrow. 

 

"The LGBT meeting?" The other teacher reminded her.

 

 _Shit. That's right._ Well, there seemed to be no other options than to let Emma stay. Maybe she could get some insight with what was happening with Misty, too. 

 

"Alright." The younger woman sighed, only to watch a wide grin appear on Mary Margaret's lips, the older teacher almost forgetting to shout a 'Thank you!' as she was running back to her classroom. 

 

Emma seemed just as pleased as she was with the current situation. Mary Margaret informed her that morning that she had to go with her daughter to the hospital, then begged Cordelia to find a substitute teacher, since she couldn't manage to and principal Gold couldn't care less. Sometimes, Cordelia wondered if she was just some kind of doormat for the older teachers, because it surely seemed like it. 

 

"So..." Emma began, tracing patterns on the desk she was sitting at.

 

Cordelia took a sip of water, while waiting for Emma to voice her thoughts.

 

"Can I call you Cordelia, now that you and my friend are dating?" 

 

The older woman almost chocked on her drink. Misty and her weren't talking anymore, not even during lessons. Whenever Cordelia asked her a question on the topic they were studying, the girl would hesitate until either Regina, Holtzmann or rarely another student would answer. Some students even came up to her and asked why Misty still had high grades, when it was obvious she didn't know the material.

 

"We're not dating." Cordelia stated, occupying herself with some assignments. 

 

"I know. I was kidding. Did she avoid you today, too?" 

 

"Miss Swan-" 

 

Emma held up a finger as her phone started ringing. _Rude_. Cordelia thought, shaking her head slightly at her student's lack of manners. The younger blonde stood up, a smirk on her face as she put the phone to her ear. 

 

 "Holtzmann, hey!" The girl's face expression changed from happiness to confusion, then to frustration in less than a second. "What do you mean, Misty's not coming? Give her the phone." Emma paced confidently around the room, as if Misty was there. "What the _fuck_ do you mean you're not coming?! Dude, I'll make you watch all 3 hours of footage on animal dissection Mary Margaret recorded if you dare go home." Emma's satisfied grin faltered as soon as she understood that the threat had no effect. "Look, you promised you wouldn't bail on us. Besides, I know people who would want you to come. In more than one way."

 

Cordelia was glad Emma was looking in another direction, because she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. The girl wasn't wrong, though... 

 

"I'll stop it if you- Alright! Fuck, woman, don't yell at me!" The girl kept the phone further away from her ear. "See y'a in ten minutes bye!" She exclaimed, throwing it on the desk.

 

Cordelia couldn't help but wonder... 

 

"Miss Swan, may I ask something?" 

 

"Sure." The girl shrugged, sitting down. 

 

"Why would Mary Margaret record a documentary on animal dissection?" 

 

Emma chuckled, leaning back in her seat. "No one knows."

 

* * *

 

They stayed in silence the whole time. Emma was scrolling through her phone, while Cordelia was grading assignments, secretly waiting for Misty to open the front door. She missed the girl a lot, her visits, their talks... Maybe it was better if she gave up on it all. Misty obviously didn't want to have anything to do with her, not anymore. Was it because of the kiss? Did she really fuck up that badly? Cordelia sighed and slid her glasses on, ready to take another stack of papers, when she heard the door open. Holtzmann paced in, a wide grin on their face, Misty following closely. The girl's smile vanished as she stared back, mouth slightly opened, eyes wide. 

 

"Oh God." Misty whimpered, then rushed out of the room. 

 

What happened? Was it something she did? Was she not supposed to look up? Both girls stared at her, eyes narrowed. 

 

"I bet it was the glasses." Holtzmann said. 

 

"It certainly was the glasses." Emma agreed, a smug smirk on her lips as she watched Misty walk back in the room, cheeks red. She looked at Cordelia again, giving the woman a shy smile as she paced towards her friends. 

 

 

The girls talked about pretty much everything, unfazed by the teacher's presence. Cordelia even witnessed Holtzmann tutoring Emma and Misty in Physics. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until 4, when small groups of students started to come in. They moved tables and chairs around so they'd stay in a circle, none of them ignored. Cordelia chose to remain in her seat and let them do their thing, rather than disturb the group. 

 

"Hello, everybody!" Laura Hollis cheered from her place, holding her girlfriend's hand. They looked great together. "I couldn't help but notice that Emma is here. How're you feeling?" 

 

"I'm fine." The blonde replied with a smile, arms crossed. 

 

"That's good to hear." Danny interfered. "As an older member of this group, I'd like to mention that if you notice any dubious individuals on the territory of the school or if you hear any homophobic or transphobic comments, please be careful and tell a teacher about what you've heard or seen. It's recommended that you walk in small groups or pairs if you feel threatened. Maybe carry a wea-"

 

"No! Don't carry a weapon." Perry interrupted her, jumping from her chair. "Pepper spray, if you consider it necessary."

 

They continued talking about the incident for a few more minutes. She tried hard not to glance at Misty, she really did, but the girl was stunning. Everything about her was angelic, from the way her curly, blonde hair fell on her shoulders to the blue in her eyes. She could've stared at her for the rest of eternity. 

 

 

They certainly didn't expect other people to show up. Emma stared dumbfounded at the door, her glance sliding from Regina to Robin. When her eyes found their interlocked hands, all color left her cheeks. Other students seemed to notice it, too. Misty, Holtzmann and Laura gave Emma a worried look, while Carmilla and a few other girls stared absently, almost glaring at the pair. 

 

"Sorry we're late." Robin smiled, sitting next to Danny, still holding Regina's hand as she sat next to him. "What did we miss?" 

 

Emma looked away, brows knotted. _Poor girl._ Cordelia thought, noticing how Misty was trying to distract her through words. She was pretty sure it wasn't working, though. Emma stood up, still refusing to glance in Regina's direction. 

 

"I think I'm gonna go home." She muttered, receiving a nod from Laura. 

 

"I'm coming with you." a girl, Ruby Lucas, offered. 

 

They left almost immediately, Ruby having the decency to wave goodbye to the rest of the group. Regina stayed silent under Carmilla's cold, judgmental stare.

 

"I don't mean to sound rude, but what's her deal?" Robin scoffed, raising an eyebrow. 

 

"You parade in here, all happy and shit, holding hands and you ask what's her deal?" Danny snarled, glaring at him. "What's _your_ deal, straightie?!" 

 

"I'm not straight! I'm demiromantic!" 

 

Even to Cordelia, that sounded stupid. Was he really thinking the rest of the world felt romantic attachment to complete strangers? The teacher chose to keep her thoughts private. She hoped nothing too grave would escalate between them. After all, she didn't want to get involved in their problems.

 

"Sure." Danny scoffed. "Demiromantic."

 

"There's no need to insult anybody-" Regina started, only to have Carmilla, surprisingly, interrupt her. 

 

"Xena's not insulting him, technically. This is an LGBT safe space. If he isn't queer, why even is he here?" 

 

"Wait! There's an easy way to settle it down." Will Scarlet, another student said, standing between Danny and Robin, who were about to start a fight. "Do you like any other gender than female, mate?" 

 

"Well, no, but-" 

 

"Do you identify as anything other than a cis male?" 

 

"No, but still-" 

 

"Well, then, I have nothing else to say." He shrugged, a smug smirk on his face as he watched Robin storm out of the room. "What a fucking douche."

 

"I can't believe we let him stay." Carmilla uttered.

 

"Didn't anyone else notice he was straight?"

 

"I don't think he even presented himself properly."

 

"What a dick." The older brunette rolled her eyes, moving her chair closer to Laura's. 

 

The rest of the evening went fine. They were talking about things like music, public places and celebrities, sometimes sliding in a comment about how cute Laura and Carmilla looked, snarky remarks on Regina and Robin holding hands or questions about each other's lives. Somebody even started spreading gossip about the principal and his wife. Closer to 6 PM, the students started leaving, Misty, Holtzmann and a few older kids staying to clean up the room. 

 

"So, today was... Eventful." Laura said, moving the last desk in its proper place with Carmilla's help. "I feel sorry for Emma. She seems to like Regina a lot."

 

"She does." Carmilla replied, walking up to her girlfriend. "I don't think Regina noticed it, though."

 

"I thought they liked each other." Misty added to the conversation. "I mean... I don't know." The girl shrugged, noticing how everyone was suddenly paying attention to her.

 

"I talked to Emma once during practice." Danny started. "She said Regina was basically a straight girl. She won't take it seriously unless somebody tells her that it's serious." The redhead added, then threw her jacket on, looking around the room. "So... Do any of you need a ride home?" 

 

"We're good." Laura answered. "Dad's picking us up."

 

"My friend's driving me home." Holtzmann stated. 

 

"Misty?" 

 

"I think I'll just call Kyle."

 

"You sure? I can drive you home."

 

"I'm good, Danny. Thanks." The girl smiled awkwardly. 

 

 

Cordelia left a few minutes after the girls. She wished she had a chance to talk to Misty alone. It was beginning to get dark outside. The weather was significantly colder. Her car was parked a few feet away, right under the trees. _Great_. The woman thought, looking at her vehicle covered in leaves. _Really great_. Cordelia tried to get them off as much as possible. She really needed a better parking lot. 

 

"Turn around."

 

Her heart froze in place. She hadn't heard that voice in a month. 

 

"Hank, please-" 

 

"Turn around!" 

 

She followed his instructions, carefully reaching inside her purse. He wasn't armed. She could run for it if she had to. 

 

"I'm not leaving without you." He grumbled, stepping closer. "Even if I have to fucking beat you senseless."

 

It happened in a fraction of a second. Before she could realize it, Cordelia was pointing the gun in his direction, her heart beating at an ungodly speed. What if she really murdered him? Would it be that bad? He deserved it. Hank wasn't scared, though. He even had the nerve to laugh, taking a step forward.

 

"Stay the fuck away from me!" She shouted, in hopes somebody would hear her.

 

Who was she lying to, though? Nobody was roaming around the school perimeter at that hour. Cordelia was helpless. She couldn't fire a gun, couldn't protect herself.

 

"Come on, shoot me." Hank chuckled. "What are you waiting for?" 

 

"Step closer and I will." She threatened, having a hard time believing her own words. 

 

He yanked the gun out of her hands and threw it on the ground. She was doomed. He grabbed her wrist, ready to land a punch if she protested.

 

"Now, get in the car and-" 

 

"Hey, fella!" A figure she didn't recognize at first tapped on Hank's shoulder and punched him hard enough to make him fall on his knees as soon as he turned around. 

 

Cordelia squinted her eyes. Misty?! The girl seemed surprised by her own actions. In spite of that, she picked up the gun before Hank could realize what was happening and pointed it at him, stepping in front of the older woman. 

 

"Now, now, little girl." Hank chuckled. "How about you step aside before I beat you up?" 

 

"How about you shut up before I shoot?" Misty snarled. 

 

It seemed like the girl would kill him if he dared to move.

 

"Oh, come on!" Hank shouted. "You don't have the guts-" 

 

He froze as soon as Misty fired the gun, his eyes wide. Hank slowly turned his head to the tree nearby, staring at the hole made by the bullet in its trunk. He didn't seem as brave as he was a moment ago, now that he knew Misty wasn't afraid to pull the trigger. 

 

"Please." The man begged in a weak voice, all the color draining from his cheeks. "Let me go."

 

Misty didn't even flinch, hands steady as she was pointing the weapon at him. That's when Cordelia understood, she was actually considering it. 

 

"Misty, let him go." The shorter blonde whispered, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. "He's not worth it."

 

The taller blonde took a deep breath, slowly lowering the gun. 

 

"Leave and don't come back." She ordered. 

 

Hank nodded, then ran to his car as fast as he could. They watched him drive away, Misty still in front of her. The whole scene looked like it was ripped from a cheap horror movie. The sky turned dark a while ago, neither of them noticing the change at first. It was late. 

 

"Get in the car." Cordelia said, taking a few steps back. "I'm driving you home."

 

Misty didn't argue at all. As soon as the girl found herself sitting, gun put away, she let out a deep sigh. 

 

"Jesus Christ..." She mumbled under her breath, rubbing her eyes. "I gotta message Kyle and tell him I found a ride."

 

While Misty was doing that, Cordelia tried to recall the route to the girl's house. They drove in silence, mostly. The teacher wouldn't admit it, but her whole body was shaking. Her mind couldn't process everything fast enough. Misty saved her. Misty Day, the girl she almost gave up on, saved her.

 

"Thank you." Cordelia barely said, sketching a weak smile. "I owe you." 

 

"You don't owe me anything." Misty replied, staring out the window. "What's with the gun?" 

 

"A gift from my mother."

 

Misty scoffed, her eyes on the older woman. 

 

"You wouldn't hurt anyone, even if your life depended on it." The girl stated, crossing her arms. 

 

"And you would?" 

 

"Not without a good reason." 

 

"Why were you there?" Cordelia asked, trying to change the subject. She didn't feel comfortable talking about murder. 

 

"I was waiting for Kyle to pick me up."

 

"And he never showed."

 

"He was on a date with his girlfriend. Can't blame him."

 

"Why didn't you accept the ride from Danny?" 

 

"She can be a bit... Intense. Besides, I don't regret it."

 

Cordelia felt her heart speed up in her chest.

 

"You could've been in danger. People know you're not straight. Somebody could've hurt you the way they hurt Emma."

 

"Emma was out and proud. I don't talk much about it. They might've even forgotten I'm gay."

 

That answer wasn't enough to satisfy Cordelia. She needed a confirmation that Misty would stay safe from then on. 

 

"Promise me you'll wait for Kyle or whoever else might pick you up somewhere safe." The woman demanded as she parked in front of her house. 

 

"Are you worried about me?" Misty chuckled, making the teacher's heart go crazy. 

 

"Just... Promise me."

 

"Alright." She nodded, unbuckling her seat belt. 

 

Misty hesitated to go inside. She seemed nervous, fidgeting with the hem of her T-shirt. 

 

"Are you alright?" Cordelia asked, her fingertips barely touching Misty's arm. 

 

"I just... I don't think I can..." The girl started, trying hard to compose a coherent phrase. 

 

"Misty, it's okay." The teacher gave her a warm smile. "You can tell me."

 

"I don't think... Shit. I just... I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight." Misty blurted out, brows knotted. 

 

Of course she couldn't. Misty was still a teenager who pointed a gun at a total stranger earlier that day. That experience must've been terrifying, to say the least. 

 

"I can stay the night if you want." Cordelia offered. 

 

It took skill and talent to finally convince Misty that she didn't have to be alone. Cordelia was resting on the couch in the living room while Misty was getting them blankets and cookies. Her house had a very strange feeling to it. The space felt cramped, as if there were more people than she could see. Before her mind could wander, Misty came back, holding two blankets and balancing a bowl of cookies on top. 

 

"Hey." The girl smiled, putting the bowl on the floor, next to the couch. 

 

"Hey." The older woman smiled back, cringing on the inside at the thought of how unsanitary it is to put food, even if it is in a container, on the floor. 

 

"Thanks for staying with me." Misty said, sitting next to the teacher. "I mean, if you have second thoughts-" 

 

"Misty, it's fine." Cordelia chuckled. "I _want_ to stay with you, alright?" 

 

"Alright." The girl grinned. 

 

 

They were watching a TV show. Cordelia didn't even know what it was about. She couldn't care less. Her gaze wandered off to Misty. The girl was magnificent. She had a special kind of purity to her. Everything about Misty was entrancing, from her shy smiles to her bright blue eyes. Oh God, the eyes... Those eyes held an incredible amount of power over Cordelia. One look at them was enough for the woman to follow Misty everywhere. She sighed, knowing that nothing could happen, at least not in this life. They were meant to be friends, at most. Misty had a whole life ahead, while she was stuck there, miserable as ever. She had to let go. She had to forget about the girl. _Maybe, but not just yet_. Cordelia thought, her gaze falling upon Misty's hand. Would it be too much? The teacher bit her lip, slowly sliding her hand on the sofa until their fingers almost touched. There it was, her chance to back off. The only reasonable solution was to take that chance. _Fuck it._  A shaky breath escaped her lungs as her fingers barely touched Misty's, making the girl turn her head to the teacher, eyes wide. Cordelia hoped it wouldn't change anything between them. Misty wouldn't risk it and that was fine, as long as she could accept Cordelia in her life, at least as a friend. To her surprise, though, the girl leaned forward, examining every detail of the older woman's face. Those eyes would be the death of her, Cordelia thought, straightening her back. They seemed to stare into her soul, stepping over any boundaries and walls she had created in the past. Misty sketched a smile, gaze jumping from Cordelia's eyes to her lips, making the teacher's heart race. She couldn't give in. She had to stop herself. The older woman bit her lip as her eyes met Misty's. She wanted more. Cordelia leaned in, placing a soft, gentle kiss on the girl's lips. This time, she swore to God she'd remember it, the way it felt, the way it made everything else irrelevant. If those were their last minutes spent together, so be it. If she had to leave in that very moment, she promised herself she'd be fine with it. The teacher was ready to accept rejection, until the most unexpected, phenomenal thing happened. Misty pressed her lips against Cordelia's, eyes shut tight. The words ' _Oh God_ ' were running through her mind over and over as she kissed the girl back, her hands cupping Misty's cheeks. The kiss seemed sweet and innocent. A sheepish smile appeared on Cordelia's lips as she watched Misty realize what she's just done. It made the girl blush so hard she hid her face in her hands. Cordelia chuckled, hugging Misty tight.

 

"Are you blushing 'cause we kissed?" The older woman asked, running her fingers through the girl's curly hair. 

 

"No." She lied, hugging her back.

 

They stood in silence, wrapped in each other's arms, before she heard Misty groan. 

 

"What? What happened?" Cordelia asked, eyebrows raised as she gently pushed Misty back so she could see her aggravated face. "Are you alright?"

 

"I'm fine, don't worry. I forgot I have homework for tomorrow." The taller blonde sighed. 

 

"I thought you were hurt!" Cordelia exclaimed.

 

"How could I get hurt while we were hugging?" Misty asked. "I mean, homework does hurt my feelings a bit..." 

 

"Oh, stop it." The shorter blonde glared playfully at her. "What classes do you have tomorrow? Maybe I can help."

 

"Well, from what I recall, I have Biology."

 

"Oh no." Cordelia frowned. "I heard the teacher gives a lot of homework."

 

"Occasionally." Misty hummed, leaning in for another kiss. 

 

"Too bad she won't check it tomorrow." The older woman smirked, wrapping her arms around the girl.

 

Every touch, every kiss made her heart jump in her chest. She was happy and nothing could change that. In that moment, Cordelia understood that as long as she could make Misty smile, nothing would be impossible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi reader. How are you? How have you been?  
> Sooo I'm back from hiatus. My writing is still messy cuz 2 weeks I haven't written shit and in approximately 3 nights (ok maybe more) I wrote this. Don't worry tho, it's gonna be better now that I'm back on track. It's p long comparing to the other chapters, isn't it?
> 
> On the aro discourse thing, please note that what the characters did was, in fact, arophobic. The subject will be discussed in a few other chapters, too and being aro and/or ace will be portrayed from now on only in a positive light. 
> 
> Moving on, next chapter I wanna try something new for Holtzbert. Ooh yeah next 2 chapters are Holtzbert. Exciting. Also I wanna speed things up a bit, if that's fine by you. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos give me life. Constructive criticism is welcome, as well as ideas, reviews and almost everything else.
> 
> Bye bye, children! See you next time!
> 
> P. S. I almost forgot. I gotta thank this wonderful hooman bean for helping me out constantly. She's magical. Tumblr: extra-mt16. Every time I read her fanfic 'Half Moon in the Wall' I cry on the inside. Her writing is so beautiful and why does she have to keep hurting Mary Eunice leave her alone please :') anyways go check her blog out and her fanfic too.
> 
> And remember, stay safe!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erin and Holtzmann are going on a date. Holtzmann receives a late birthday gift from their parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbert centered

Holtzmann tried hard to keep their eyes open. Erin had a big thing the next day. Having another episode in their sleep would make both of them stay up all night. Erin needed sleep. Holtzmann repeated the mantra in their head, staring into the darkness, eyes wide. 5 more hours until they had to wake up. They had to do something to stay awake.

Mom and dad were finally back from Nevada. They visited aunt Lucy and uncle Greg. When they came back, they brought some gifts, like a black leather jacket, a ton of stickers with LGBT flags and of course, sour candy. Lucy and Greg promised to visit soon. They missed those two. They missed their cat, too. Calamity was a fluffy, old giant. She was adopted some years ago, around Christmas. Of a dark gray and always glaring, Calamity was a real charmer. If she was human, she'd be getting all the ladies, or at least Holtzmann theorized so. The cat had the lowest, huskiest meows they've ever heard. Waking at 5 AM because Calamity was staring at you was similar to a hoard of demons watching you closely. It felt like the soul was coming back in the body from its journey to the underworld.

Holtzmann checked the clock as quietly and carefully as they could. 3 AM. 4 more hours to go. They had stayed awake for longer than that. 36 hours was no biggie. For Erin, they were ready to sacrifice a week worth of sleep.

They. Holtzmann chose to think of themselves as they, rarely him or her. Mom and dad used they and them, while Erin preferred to use her. _Her_ made them slightly uncomfortable, though. Maybe Erin should know they feel bad with she/her. It wasn't that big of a big deal, though...

Mom and dad loved Erin. Well, mom and dad loved everybody, really. Dad asked why Erin was so shy. He was used to the rest of the crew and Misty roaming freely around the house, like they grew up there. Erin's reserved behavior confused him. After all, he tried so hard to make her feel welcome, he almost cried when Erin addressed him as 'sir' and not as 'Patrick' or 'dad', like all the other kids did. Mom laughed about it. She understood instantly that it would take a while for her girlfriend to feel fully comfortable in their household. Both of their parents agreed that nothing bad would happen if they slept in the same bed. Maybe they thought that sleeping next to Erin would help Holtzmann...

"Sweetie, I can hear your thoughts." Erin grumbled, eyes closed. "Go to sleep."

The nicknames were a new thing. After using them once and making Holtzmann blush for the rest of the day, the brunette refused to stop.

"Holtz?" She uttered, struggling to open one eye. "You alright?"

Maybe if they stayed still, Erin would think they were sleeping.

"Holtz, you move in your sleep more than you do during the day. I know you're awake."

And that's how their plan went down the drain.

"I'm fine, babe." Holtzmann whispered, burying their nose in Erin's neck. "Go to sleep."

Erin hugged them, playing with their hair. She fell asleep faster than Holtzmann expected. 4 AM. Their brain begged for some sleep and their eyes were burning. _No_. Holtzmann moved slowly to the other side of the bed, careful not to wake up Erin. They had to stay awake.

 

* * *

 

 

Their eyes finally stopped hurting as Holtzmann closed them, head falling on the stack of books. They wouldn't fall asleep, for sure. Maybe take a nap, only. Sleeping was out of the question.

They somehow stayed awake until 6:30. 30 minutes later, Erin woke them up by kissing their nose and cheeks. It was the greatest way to start the day. They hid successfully the fact that they were too tired to think properly, that until Physics.

"Holtzmann, are you sleeping?!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. _Uh Oh._ She seemed angry.

"No. It's gravity." They mumbled, unable to open their eyes.

"Jillian, I asked you to talk about Optics in front of the class."

They stood up, barely awake. With every step, their body threatened to fall unconscious.

"Alright, before we start, Holtzmann, what is Optics, exactly?"

 _Oh, fuck_. Let's see...

"Optics," They began in a Russian accent. That would keep them awake. "Is a branch of Physics that studies the properties of light and it's behavior in different environments."

"Holtzmann, please, talk like a normal person."

 _Ouch, whatever_. Being normal was overrated.

They barely got through the lesson. Mary Margaret would've given them a B- if she hadn't noticed how tired they were. That woman was a hero. Holtzmann almost didn't feel the phone buzz in their pocket as they were making their way outside, where Kevin was waiting to drive them home.

_Erin_   
_They liked the presentation!_

_Holtz_   
_Congrats, babe. I knew you could do it._

They put their phone away after they spotted Kevin. As always, he was wearing a wide smile on his face. God, was it good to see at least one person who had no drama going on in their life.

"Hey, Holtz!" The man greeted as they sat behind him. Taking their own motorcycle was too dangerous. Erin, Abby and Patty, but especially Erin insisted that somebody could mess with the vehicle during the lessons, so waiting for Kevin, Patty or one of their parents to pick them up was the safest option. "How was your day?"

"T'was alright." They muttered, hugging him so they wouldn't fall. "Yours?"

"It was good." He replied, starting the motorcycle. "I got a new prescription for my glasses." Kevin poked himself in the eye, getting a chuckle out of Holtzmann.

 

* * *

 

  
Their friends were hanging in the lab. Abby was working on a new equation, while Patty was sitting next to her, finishing a history book, legs on the desk. Erin, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Holtz!" Abby greeted, taking a break from the equation. "How was your day?"

"It was decent." They replied, dropping the bag next to their table. "Where's Erin?"

"At a seminar about quantum mechanics. That new teacher was so impressed with her project he took Erin with him."

"Boring." They scoffed, opening a box of Pringles. "So... Misty didn't come to school today. The Biology teacher was absent, too. I wonder what might've happened to them."

"They're probably fine." Abby replied. "Isn't Misty that girl who stood in the rain 3 hours and still remained perfectly healthy?"

"Yeah. She's also the girl who broke a bone by walking straight into a pole."

"But I thought she was gay."

"I swear to God..." Patty scoffed, turning the page. "Y'all are the biggest LGBTQ convention I've ever had the honor of meeting."

"Me?" Holtzmann asked innocently.

"And your group of friends. It's as big as the circles under your eyes." The girl mentioned.

"Yeah, about that... I think I'll take a nap after setting fire to the table. The Tired is possessing The Holtz."

"Did you pull an all-nighter again?" Asked Patty, closing her book. "Dude, go home. I'm sure Erin won't mind."

 _Yeah_. Holtzmann yawned, stretching. _Maybe she won't._

_Holtz_   
_Babe, I'm gonna go home early._

  
_Erin_   
_I thought you were at home?_

 _Uh oh_. They forgot something. Holtzmann was 89.99% sure they missed a very important event.

_Erin_   
_Did you forget about the date?_

They felt like banging a plate against their head repeatedly. Sleep. Even one moment of sleep would mean so much...

_Holtz_   
_Of course not! I just thought I'd pick you up?_

_Erin_   
_Didn't Kevin drive you from school?_

 _Motherfucking..._ Great! Now what?!

_Erin_   
_Honey, you sure you're alright?_

_Holtz_   
_Yeah! Gotta go bye!_

"Kev! Can you drive me home?" they asked, looking frantically for their phone, only to remember they were holding it.

"Sure thing." The man smiled, waiting for Holtzmann to get ready.

They threw the phone into their backpack and headed to the door, trying to remember at what hour they were supposed to be at the restaurant.

"You forgot your backpack!" Patty announced, making the young physicist turn around. What a great day for fucking shit up because of sleep deprivation.

 

* * *

 

Holtzmann was starting to regret their poor clothing choices. Erin looked amazing in the blue dress. _Fuck_. She always looked like a goddess.

"M'lady." The blonde grinned, stepping aside so Erin could enter the restaurant.

It looked expensive. According to the prices, though, there wasn't anything they couldn't afford. After they made sure the brunette felt comfortable in her seat, Holtzmann sat at the other side of the table, a satisfied smile on their face.

"I don't mean it to sound cheesy or anything, but you look ravishing." Holtzmann wiggled their eyebrows, a smug smile on their lips as they watched Erin chuckle, a light shade of pink covering her cheeks. "You have the prettiest face I've ever seen and I've seen a _lot_ of faces. You know, I used to take the bus to school till last year." They mentioned, hoping that Erin didn't mind the compliments.

"Really?! I thought you used to ride your motorbike since birth." The brunette joked.

"Only in theory." They let out a dramatic sigh.

Erin ordered a salad and fries, while they ordered a whole plate of fried squid. The brunette pretended to mind Holtzmann's tendency to give a voice to every single piece of food they planned on eating. The blonde knew that Erin secretly found it funny. They were in the middle of reenacting Titanic scenes with a fry and two pieces of squid, when their phone started to vibrate in their pocket.

"Shit. I'm sorry." Holtzmann muttered, looking at the screen. It was dad.

_"Hey, sweetheart! Are you still out with Erin?"_

"Yep. Kinda busy."

_"I know, I know. Sorry to disturb you on your date. I just thought that we didn't get a chance to give you a birthday gift and now would be the perfect time. I'm gonna send you an address. You can go there with Erin and be sure to check it out till 9."_

"Alright. Thanks, dad. Love y'a."

_"Have a good time!"_

"Thanks gotta go love y'a bye!"

Erin raised an eyebrow, tilting her head, making their heart melt.

"You're so fucking cute." They said, sketching a small smile.

"Stop." Erin hid her face, cheeks burning. "You're much cuter."

"So... How did the seminar go?" The brunette asked, hoping to avoid Erin's compliments. It's not that they didn't like it. Sometimes, they seemed to refer only to her feminine side, though, which made them uncomfortable.

"It went great! There was this guy who kept falling asleep and snoring, but in rest, I enjoyed it. I'm really glad they liked my project."

"They'd be fools if they didn't. It's perfect." Holtzmann smiled softly. "Just like you."

 

They finished eating by 8. Holtzmann told her more about mom and dad, about their lives, jobs, dreams. About how they came out as gay, then as genderfluid. Telling her about _that_ day was too painful, though, so the blonde decided to save it for later. Erin didn't say much about her family. Her parents were both lawyers, both serious people. They didn't know much about their daughter, except for three facts. She was attending university, dating a woman and relying on their money. As soon as her next birthday would arrive, they would stop paying for everything. Erin's parents were conservative to the point where having a queer child was shameful. Holtzmann was 100.1% sure they could fight the world if that meant Erin never had to feel like she was a failure ever again. They held hands, walking to the address their dad sent them. Holtzmann didn't know what to expect, until they found themselves in front of the Adoption Center, dad's car parked in a nearby spot.

"No way." They muttered, walking in.

There were cats and dogs and even a few other animals, like rabbits and mice.

"So... What exactly is your birthday gift?" Erin asked, her eyes wandering from cage to cage.

_Dad_   
_Pick any animal you want. Text us when you're done._

"Holy shit..." They grinned, taking a step back, examining every cage carefully.

There were kittens and puppies, all cute, all attracting their attention. Holtzmann would've taken them all home. The rodents were also amazingly interesting. There was one thing Holtzmann couldn't forget, though. The kittens were most likely to be adopted. The puppies would surely find love and care. Holtzmann started searching for something. They almost ran through the center, glancing at every animal.

"May I help you?" A volunteer stopped their rush.

"I need to find your oldest, least-likely-to-find-a-home animal."

The volunteer gave them a cheerful smile, pacing fast towards the end of the building. They came upon an old, tabby cat who had 3 legs and whose fur was in the worst condition possible.

"Her name is Rowan. She's 8 years old. She came in 2 years ago, left by her old owner, who mistreated her, as you might've noticed."

"2 years with no family..." Holtzmann repeated to themselves. "I'm adopting her."

They texted mom and dad, who didn't seem to be surprised by their choice. Rowan looked so sad it almost made them cry.

"You're gonna be loved and cared for from now on." They whispered, holding her to their chest. "We're your family now. We'll look after you."

Rowan fell asleep in the car, comfortably spread across their lap. Once they got home, the cat was taken by their parents. All three of them were enjoying a TV show, while them and Erin were up in their room, lying on the bed, pretending to watch a movie on their laptop.

"Why did they decide to give you a pet as a present?" The brunette asked, tracing patterns on their hand.

"I wanted one since I was a kid, but mom and dad didn't want to make the poor animal go through the process of moving out every other month." They answered. "I guess adopting Rowan means we're staying here for a while."

"You're so sweet for choosing a cat in urgent need over a kitten." Erin whispered, placing a soft kiss on their cheek.

"I did what everyone else would do."

"Except you did the complete opposite. Holtz, give yourself some credit. You're so kind and so gentle..."

"And I'm also embarrassingly loud and obnoxious." They mumbled, suddenly self-conscious of their personality.

"You're loud, yes, but only to voice your opinions and to fight for what matters. You're in no way obnoxious, Jillian."

"Only a tad annoying."

Erin rolled her eyes, placing a sweet, gentle kiss on their lips. Being with her felt like heaven. She was so perfect in a certain way. It's not like Erin didn't make mistakes. It's not like they were flawless. They were both human, after all, except Erin seemed to be the most perfect, most angelic human on earth. Holtzmann took her hand in theirs, letting a shaky breath escape their lungs.

"Is everything alright?" Erin's worried gaze made their heart melt.

"Duh." The blonde chuckled, then yawned.

Truth be told, they were tired. Holtzmann closed their eyes, slowly laying their head on Erin's lap, as if they were subtle enough for the brunette not to notice. The moment her fingers started playing with their locks, Holtzmann knew they were going to fall asleep soon, dreaming on the lap of the best human who's ever existed.

Luck has always been on their side before. They were lucky enough to meet Abby and Patty, lucky enough to find accepting friends and to have an amazing family. This, though, meeting Erin and being with her... This didn't feel like luck. It was their fate, their destiny to share time on Earth. Holtzmann smiled at the thought. It couldn't have possibly been a coincidence for them to be born in the same time and universe that Erin lived in.

"Good night, sweetie." The brunette whispered, placing a kiss on their cheek.

"Good night, Erin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE!!!
> 
> In other words, hello, how have you been? I'm sorry for 2 months of disappearance. Apparently, it takes a good old stomach ache to bring me back to writing (at 1 AM. Pretending I don't need to edit anything. Whoops).
> 
> Next chapter is also holtzbert, but centered more around The Blonde Committee. For those of you who forgot (because I'm writing THAT frequently) The Blonde Committee - Emma, Misty and Holtz.
> 
> Ideas, opinions, suggestions are accepted. I love comments and kudos. They motivate me basically. 
> 
> Stay safe, kids! See y'a next time!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Misty talk about their past. Holtzmann helps Emma understand something extremely important regarding the traumatic event she's been through.  
> Holtz and Erin's relationship reaches new heights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbert centered

Holtzmann rushed to the first floor as soon as they saw Emma's yellow car parking in front of their house. It was the first time their parents would meet the jock. They invited her and Misty over in an attempt to help Emma recover emotionally, because despite her insisting that she was fine, it was obvious that the incident with Killian and Mike, then the one with Regina and Robin left her in a deplorable state. 

 

"Honey, your friends are here!" Dad exclaimed as he opened the door.

 

Holtzmann stopped next to him, a bit nervous about Emma's first impression upon seeing their house and their family. Having friends over was always a great experience for them. Misty was happy as ever, while Emma, who looked like she was barely standing, gave them a weak smile, trying to hide her sadness. The jock looked like Rowan when they picked her up from the adoption center. 

 

"Hello, Patrick! Hello, Holtz!" Misty sang cheerfully, giving him a bag that smelled like pastries. "We come bearing gifts!"

 

"Cookies!" The man chuckled excitingly, looking inside. "Well, thank you, girls. Why don't you come inside and relax while I make tea? Do you like mint tea, Emma?" He asked the girl in the warmest tone possible. 

 

She nodded shyly. Meanwhile, Misty managed to take her shoes and coat off, then walk in the living room and greet their mom, while Emma couldn't even gather herself to take a step away from the door. Holtzmann decided it was time to take action.

 

"We have a pair of spare slippers if you want your feet to stay warm." They joked, pointing at her boots.

 

"Oh." She looked down, hesitantly taking them off. "Sorry."

 

"There's nothing to apologize for." Holtzmann assured her, waiting until Emma put her boots next to Misty's shoes, then urged the taller blonde to step into the living room. Her dad was arranging the table, while Misty and her mom were talking, Rowan sleeping peacefully next to them. 

 

"Mom, dad, this is Emma."

 

"Nice to meet you, sweetheart." Mom gave her a heartwarming smile, then pointed to the free space next to Misty. "Come in, don't be shy."

 

Emma took careful steps and sat down as if she was afraid she'd break the couch, which was a ridiculous idea. Holtzmann almost slammed their body into the soft surface every single time they wanted to lie down and it was still standing.

 

"So, Emma, Jill told us you practice softball." Their father tried to initiate a conversation as he handed the jock a cup of tea.

 

"Thanks." She said, taking it. "I used to, but then something happened and I got injured. I'm not allowed to play anymore."

 

"I understand." He nodded, handing Misty her cup.

 

Both their parents knew about the incident. They also knew how hard it was for somebody to rehabilitate from such an event, since their child had to live through a similar trauma. 

 

They drank tea in silence. Emma seemed to feel extremely uncomfortable in a room with their parents. When the group of teenagers finally decided to head upstairs, the jock took Rowan with them. The cat apparently helped Emma with her anxiety. 

 

 

As soon as they walked into the room the jock fell on the bed, letting out a sigh.

 

"You ok?" Misty asked, sitting next to her.

 

"Just tired." The shorter blonde replied, eyes closed. "I just have to rest so I have enough energy for tomorrow." She smirked.

 

Emma made big plans for her birthday, which mainly involved her family, the two girls, Carmilla and Laura. She wasn't sure the rest of the guests would show up, which from Holtzmann's perspective was really sad. The jock truly believed people only valued her when she could give them everything she had.

 

"Yeah, about that," Misty began. "I don't know if I'll be able to come tomorrow."

 

"Shit!" Holtzmann swore, trying to act as if she remembered something important right then, right there. "I gotta be home at 7 tomorrow. I forgot to tell you."

 

They planned everything with extreme precision and every guest took part in their scheme. Emma had no idea they were organizing something for her.

 

"Are you kidding me?!" She looked at them, eyes filled with disappointment. "I thought at least you two wouldn't bail on me."

 

"Hey! We're gonna show up, but we won't stay until the end." Misty replied. "I'm pretty sure Carmilla and Laura will be there, too, so you won't be alone."

 

"What a shitty week." The jock muttered, all of her happiness gone in a moment. "It's like that time I didn't celebrate Christmas."

 

"Why wouldn't you celebrate Christmas?" Holtzmann asked, confusion in their tone.

 

"I was staying at the orphanage then." Emma answered.

 

"I thought Mary Margaret and Mr. Nolan were your biological parents." The taller blonde commented.

 

"They are."

 

Holtzmann and Misty didn't know if they were allowed to ask anything about the subject. It was a pretty personal matter, after all. 

 

"Do you want to talk about something else?" They finally questioned in a shy voice.

 

"It's fine." Emma shrugged, then sat up. "When I turned 2, dad lost his job. Mom couldn't work. She knew a woman who had something to do with this whole adoption thing and they arranged for me to stay in foster care until they could take me back. I spent 4 years like that. Usually, they visited me frequently and took me home for holidays. The year my dad found a job was really messy. They forgot about me." A hint of pain showed in her eyes. "I forgave them, though. It's hard to be without a job and take care of a kid." She sighed, looking at them.

 

Uncomfortable silence settled in the room. They really didn't know what to tell her. 

 

"My parents were murdered when I was five." Misty suddenly stated, looking in the distance. "My grandma was a religious fanatic. She killed them for being too liberal." The taller blonde scoffed. "What a dumb fucking reason to kill somebody."

 

"Misty..." Holtzmann put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort their friend.

 

"I lived with a mentally deranged woman until I was 16. 11 years I've been taught I should love a hateful God and despise what I am. After she died, my aunt was supposed to move in with me. She agreed to leave everything to me if I didn't tell anyone I'm alone in that house. It feels like there's ghosts that are watching every single thing I do. I wish I could burn it down."

 

"How did they not find out that she killed them?" Emma asked, frowning.

 

"I have no idea. The whole period is pretty much a blur in my head, except for my parents' bashed heads. You'd expect it to become less gruesome with time." Misty scoffed, wiping tears off her cheeks. "Sorry, I just..."

 

"It's okay." Holtzmann sat between them, then hugged both girls. "There's nothing wrong with being vulnerable. You know, emotions are part of being human and embracing them helps you understand who you are." They explained. "It's okay to trust people enough to tell them what's really bothering you."

 

"I don't like being vulnerable." Emma muttered, leaning her head on their shoulder. "I don't like thinking about Gina and Robin and what that makes me feel."

 

"Forget about her." Misty replied, sitting in front of the jock. "You don't need her to be happy."

 

"But it helps." Emma sketched a sad smile. "It's like nobody else matters. It's like I can have everyone's attention, but the only person I need is aggressively ignoring me."

 

"Don't destroy yourself for her." The taller blonde insisted. "If you tried your best, it's time to let go."

 

"As if that were easy." The other girl rolled her eyes. "And even if that disappeared, I still have nightmares of..."

 

"You don't have to say it." Holtzmann interfered. "You don't have to say what makes you feel uncomfortable. Tell us as much as you're willing to and we'll listen."

 

Emma took a deep, shaky breath. Her fingers were stroking Rowan's fur, while the cat was watching her closely, as if she was waiting for the girl's story, too.

 

"I wish I could hurt them the way they hurt me." She began, voice lacking any emotion. "I wish they had nightmares of me cracking their bones and laughing about it. I wish they were afraid of what I could've possibly done to them. They deserve it. Fully. They made me miserable. I feel like I don't belong in my own skin. Everything is just constant pain. If I could hurt them the way they hurt me, it feels like the pain would finally stop."

 

"It wouldn't." Holtzmann stated. "You'll see them paying for it and even then it won't stop."

 

"Then why am I trying to fight through it?"

 

"For yourself, I suppose. The only advice I can give you is visit a psychologist."

 

"I don't need a shrink."

 

"They can help. You need help to heal and that's fine. Even the strongest of us need support and that's OK."

 

"Thanks, Holtz." Emma smiled. "How come you're so fucking wise all of a sudden?" 

 

"Would you believe me if I told you it involves time travel and witchcraft?" 

 

Both girls rolled their eyes at Holtzmann's words. At least they brightened the general mood. 

 

"That was really nice, actually." Misty raised her eyebrows, glancing at her friends. "Opening up, I mean."

 

"Yeah." They nodded. "Those are the exact words you said to Cordelia."

 

"Oh my fucking God." The taller blonde glared at them, face red, while Emma was laughing her lungs out.

 

"Now, that was the prequel."

 

"Holtzmann I swear I'll kill you if you go on."

 

"Alright, alright. I'll stop."

 

"Really?" Misty seemed surprised. "Well, that was quick."

 

"That's what she said!" Holtzmann uttered in one breath, up and running downstairs as Misty raced after them, shouting "Stop and face the consequences, you imbecile!"

 

After three minutes of running around the house and in the end being tackled by Misty, they returned to Holtzmann's room, to find Emma sitting awkwardly on the bed while Erin was working at their desk.

 

"Oh shit. I didn't know you'd visit today." Holtzmann grinned, placing a light kiss on their girlfriend's cheek. "Emma, Misty, this is Erin. Erin, meet Emma and Misty."

 

"Pleasure to finally meet you." Misty shook her hand. "If you guys want us to, we can leave."

 

"It's alright." Erin shrugged, intertwining her fingers with Holtzmann's. "It doesn't phase me at all."

 

"Great!" They smiled, sitting on the floor next to Erin's chair, still holding her hand. "So, about tomorrow. Tell us about your plans."

 

"Well, Laura and Carmilla volunteered to come earlier and help out mom with the food. Magically, the whole team can't make it. I haven't talked to Regina or Robin since..."

 

"We got it." Misty sketched an apologetic smile.

 

"And you two are planning on ditching me so I guess I'll eat ice cream and be sad all day, while my family is trying to cheer me up, Carmilla is losing her shit and Laura is braiding my hair, blissfully unaware of everything."

 

"Why would Carmilla lose her shit?" Holtzmann asked. "And in what dimension is Laura 'blissfully unaware' of something?"

 

Emma opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, not knowing what to say.

 

"I mean... You know what, it's their relationship and their life. I don't care."

 

"You do." Misty muttered.

 

"Of course I do. What am I? An animal?"

 

"Well, since we know that two of the small number of people you actually enjoy talking to will be there, why not message the third?" Holtzmann insinuated, watching as Emma began to panic. They needed her to invite Regina over, since a major part of their surprise depended on her. 

 

"Are you fucking crazy? Do you know how hard I've worked on avoiding them? Besides, I'm 100% sure neither Robin nor Regina know that my birthday is tomorrow."

 

"The whole school knows. It's impossible to miss it." Misty stated. "The entire time I've spent in this school, every event tied in any way to Emma Swan has almost made it on the front page of the school newspaper."

 

"Regina doesn't read the school newspaper. I should know, I've thrown it away for her."

 

"Honey?" Erin whispered, distracting herself from her papers. "Who is Regina?"

 

"She's Emma's crush, who is supposedly dating a guy from our school."

 

"Oh."

 

"She's also the mayor's daughter."

 

"Oh no."

 

"What's so bad about being the mayor's daughter?" Emma tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Have you ever met the mayor? That woman's scary."

 

"People don't really scare me." The jock replied. "And anyways, I don't have anything to do with them anymore."

 

"Why not? Do you know for a fact that they're dating?" Surprisingly, Erin decided to get involved into the conversation.

 

"Not really."

 

"Then? Invite her to your party. You've got nothing to lose."

 

"But what if they are dating? It's not like I can just swoop in her life and say 'Hey, Gina, leave your perfect boyfriend for me, the ex-softball player with constant nightmares and no money! I have no future, but I really like you.'"

 

"You're focusing on the unimportant things." Holtzmann declared. "She doesn't care if you have money or not. The girl values your friendship, which means she values you as a person. Just be real with her."

 

 

After endless convincing, Emma finally gave in and invited Regina to the party, mentioning that Robin could come, too. They'd have to take care of it and make sure he'd stay far away from both girls tomorrow. The jock had to leave before she got a response. Misty decided to go with her, since she didn't have any other way to get home. 

 

* * *

 

 

Holtzmann couldn't deny the fact that they enjoyed spending time with their friends, but sometimes it was just too much. Both Misty and Emma were intense people, even though one of them showed the trait considerably less than the other. They were happy to find themselves alone with Erin, listening to music, Rowan sleeping peacefully next to them. It felt refreshing to step back into the comfort zone.

 

"So..." Erin began, lying next to them. "Your friends are interesting people."

 

"They sure are." Holtzmann chuckled. "And you've seen them on a bad day."

 

"Is it worse on a good day?"

 

"They're much crazier on a good day."

 

Erin's soft laughter made their heart flutter as it filled with affection for the woman. Holtzmann pressed their lips against hers, smiling into the kiss.

 

"I like you so much." The teenager whispered, burying their nose in the crook of her neck.

 

"I like you, too." The brunette ran her fingers through their hair. "How was your day?"

 

"Decent. I spent it with Emma and Misty."

 

"Right. I finally met Misty."

 

"Thoughts? Opinions?"

 

"She didn't seem to be as friendly and 'a softie' as you described her."

 

"They both had a bad day." Holtzmann reminded her. "I'll invite her over on a good day, then you'll see."

 

"Can't wait." Erin joked. "Does Misty still like the Biology teacher?"

 

"Yeah. At least I think so. We joked about that before you arrived. By the way, I didn't notice when you opened the door."

 

"That's because I'm stealthy."

 

"Sure you are." Holtzmann muttered under their breath, earning a playful nudge from Erin. "I'm kidding. Tell me about your day. I'm all ears."

 

"I ditched classes and went over to Abby."

 

Holtzmann was in shock. Erin wasn't the person to ditch school. She got stressed over a bad grade. Skipping classes would've resulted into her having a panic attack.

 

"I'm kidding." The brunette chuckled. "You should've seen your face."

 

"Don't do that to me!" They exclaimed, putting a hand over their heart. "You would've been worried, too, if you'd thought aliens had stolen your girlfriend!"

 

"You're cute when you're worried." She smirked, kissing them slowly, the manner of the kiss catching Holtzmann by surprise. It felt passionate, yet full of affection at the same time. They slid their arms around her waist, pulling the brunette closer. "I like you a lot." She whispered, gazing lovingly at them.

 

"I like you a lot, too." They replied, tracing patterns on her hand. "I like your laughter."

 

"You do?" 

 

"Of course I do. I like everything about you."

 

"Even angry me?"

 

"Even angry you."

 

"If you keep complimenting me like that, I might stay here for the rest of eternity."

 

"Oh thank God. I was worried you would want to leave eventually."

 

"How can you be so sweet? I don't understand."

 

"It's hard being sour when I'm with you."

 

"Stop it." Erin hid her face in the pillow, blushing furiously.

 

Holtzmann snickered, watching the brunette as she turned to face them. Her eyes were mesmerizing. They left Holtzmann breathless, awestruck by their sincerity. If they ever came to doubt it, the teenager could always reassure themselves that Erin truly cared about them by looking into her eyes.

 

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?"

 

"Several times a day." She answered, then kissed the tip of their nose. "And then you say that you're the luckiest person alive and I have to-"

 

"I love you."

 

Their words took Erin by surprise. She was quite obviously shocked. Did they fuck up that badly?

 

"Jesus Christ, I..." They took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look, it's fine if you don't feel the same,  just don't get-"

 

"I love you, too."

 

"Oh." Holtzmann raised both eyebrows, processing what just happened. "That's great. I mean..."

 

"Shut up." Erin scoffed, placing the sweetest kiss on their lips, making them melt instantly.

 

"I love you." They stated again, heart beating twice as fast, knowing that their feelings were reciprocated. 

 

"I love you, too, Holtz."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you, reader? Long time no see. You would've thought I gave up by now, but no! I'm still writing!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Leave a comment and tell me what you liked and what you didn't. I'm all ears.
> 
> Have a great day and take care of yourself, fellas!


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